What's the norm in society (which today is beyond against the natural law and evil) will inevitably leak into Catholic spheres unless Catholics head for the hills and live together similar to the Amish. Not debatable. We are all guilty of keeping one foot in the world and one in the Church. You can have those who are strong in the charisma to outsiders, similar to a missionary and live in the world, but those types are a HUGE exception. As a collective, Catholics better start living together/suffering together in their own communities.
Name ONE such Catholic community that has stood the test of time? How would one go about establishing a successful Catholic community? Who is welcomed? Who is not welcome? I don’t say it’s not a wonderful idea, but do realize, the Amish are not the utopia you imagine. They are split into hundreds of groups that are ever increasing, just like “traditional Catholics.” Church splits with resulting negative social, emotional, financial, and spiritual consequences are rife. This is their history from the time of the “Reformation” of which the Anabaptists were the radical left wing. The lack of unity too often resulting in lack of charity amongst those who once called themselves brethren has the same cause as the divisions among Protestants and before them, the schismatics, before that, the Judaizers among the Galatians. In the earthly life of Our Lord, there was the split between the tiny minority who believed the words of Christ, Himself concerning the eating and drinking of His Flesh and Blood, and the large majority who walked away and followed Him no more.
The problem spiritually, was Faith in God and trust in man, but the practical problem resides in the disintegration and corruption of the hierarchy.
Will R&R Catholics fellowship peacefully with their Sedevacantist neighbors? What about the Sedeprivationists across the road? It might work for a time, each family going to his own chapel. But what happens when 25 year old Timothy, the Sedeprivationist falls in love with 19 year old Philomena, from the R&R family across the lane? If they go ahead and find an independent priest to marry them with family on both sides refusing to attend the wedding, perhaps they agree to tough it out and move to the small community surrounding the independent priest. Their large family of children grow up not knowing their paternal grandparents and their maternal grandparents visit frequently, but keep very quiet about it. In the meantime, the independent priest passes away and the chapel members are shocked when his will appointed his replacement, a priest once affiliated with +Bp. Pivarunas, but who is now independent. The result is a three way split, some remaining, one group affiliating with an offshoot of the original Sedeprivationists, a small group of three families joining the R&R, and two families leaving to go it “home alone,” separately, not together. One of the home alone families did not have a harmonious marriage, the mother eventually attending Mass from time to time with the younger children, but not partaking of the Sacraments. The father became less and less engaged with the Faith, eventually giving the spiritual direction entirely to his wife. The children caught in between, were given leave by their father upon reaching age 15, whether to attend Mass. Through business connections, the father made worldly friends, not “evil” people, some even novus ordo Catholics with a casual attitude toward religion. They didn’t oppose it, but neither supported it. They followed Natural Law with a Christian bent. Soon, equivalent Protestant in name only and decent, natural law abiding people with no religion were counted among the friends of the father and all but one of the children as they turned 15. The time came when some of these children married either novus ordo spouses, converted to Protestant, and held quasi-religious weddings with a JP in some sort of clerical robe. One daughter, seeing religion as the cause of the generational strife in her family, privately exchanged “commitment rings” with her live-in boyfriend with whom she had a son, Colt Dashiel Foster, Dashielle being his father’s surname and Foster, his mother’s. Colt was chosen for his given name because of his vigorous kicking in his mother’s womb!
Then there are day to day practical problems. What sort of work will be available? Will people need to farm or hunt in secret? Become itinerant workers staying a step ahead of the anti-Christ authorities? What of those people unable to farm, tolerate a physically demanding life? The sickly, disabled, of low mental capacity, elderly? Does a community leave a family behind when it’s necessary to flee to save the majority, or do they die together as martyrs? If there is no clear leader, no priest, no bishop even at a distance or with whom one can communicate, assuming the channels of communication have gone down or Catholics are denied access, who decides should sin erupt in the midst? Rest assure there’ll be some Judases and Ananias and Saphiras. Complainers will arise. Two families rely entirely on charity for their needs. One seems to have at least a few children who could be sent to assist others with simple work. The other family has been getting insufficient food, but they don’t want to complain, bearing their hunger for Christ’s sake. Nobody notices until the wife miscarries a baby due to malnutrition. Her health steadily declines and she needs professional medical help. It’s available, but at exorbitant cost since Catholics are barred from government care. Should everyone be required to donate to the point of endangering their own health when a positive outcome is 50/50?
How are the children educated? Homeschooling may be impossible as all need to work. Or should a person less physically able be appointed teacher? What if the person does not want to teach because he or she lacks knowledge, ability to manage children, and has no materials like books, internet access, only a makeshift chalkboard? Should the children not receive formal education but learn what they can as they work beside their parents? Should all goods be in common, or should families be autonomous? What of people without families? Singles not suited to marriage, with no available options? Elderly? Possible converts? How will these be handled since they could be spies, but then again, they may be sincere. What should be the test of admitting them to the community for visits? Before Baptism? Before moving in?
Now, perhaps there are ways around such difficulties. Our Lord could return before schisms occur. A good Pope could reign causing all to submit to his Authority. The Chastisement could rip the community to shreds rendering differing opinions irrelevant. Survival takes precedence over arguments about the pope, bishops, and priests because most of them are dead or among the missing.
This is all speculation, much of which might never come to pass. Benedikt, I may be wrong, but I’m thinking you are young, if married with a child or two, you are eager to take immediate action to insure you and your family have access to Mass, Sacraments, a priest of whose adherence to the Faith as you understand it. You are not a theologian, have not been to seminary, may or may not have studied the basics of Catholic theology, ie, St.Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine, The Great Encyclicals, Trent, Church History, Patristics, Apologetics, Moral Theology? Do you know Latin? Any Greek? Hebrew? Do you know other modern languages?
I can see you are familiar with the writings of Archbishop LeFebvre, but what about all the authors and works to whom he refers? No doubt he is a Saint awaiting canonization, but he is not the sum total of understanding the Catholic Faith. Familiarity with his writings and teachings do not confer a lay person with the ability or authority to determine who, among the “Resistance” much less Tradition is correct to the exclusion of others. Keep in mind that priests and Bishops are unable to agree. You have not the knowledge, experience, or authority to proclaim fellow Catholics sell-outs, hypocrites, lazy, or modernists because they do not speak or act as you desire, or as you think Archbishop LeFebvre and Our Lord Himself desire.
You are evidently in a position and ready for concrete action. That is a blessing! I would advise you to make a move while you are able. What’s the saying? “Strike while the iron is hot.” But be sure, first, that your aim is true, and that the item you are fashioning or helping another to fashion, is in accordance with the Church’s main mission, the salvation of souls. Think, also, if the means are pleasing to God and are in accord with common sense. Examine your heart before your Creator, Redeemer, and Judge, if your intent is pure, free from defect of pride or the favor of men. If so, go ahead with whatever the Holy Ghost has placed in your heart and mind. If you know not where to start, find another to assist and let him be your mentor. If it turns out you made a mistake, that’s okay. Admit your fault and try again elsewhere. Learn from your mistakes, yes, even from your sins if that’s what they be. Mercy and grace are available in the Confessional. And if none is available to you, pray and hope in Christ for perfect contrition until such time as circuмstances change.
May God bless you!
Seraphina M.
Topic: How Do You Truly Resist the Neo-SSPX and Vatican II Spirit? (Read 3722 times)