Jennifer said:

Quote

But, at this point, I cannot be convinced otherwise. I can be quite "passionate" about what I believe, and it's only out of frustration at the crisis in the (earthly) church has posed that I become "angry";

I was a home-aloner for seven months or thereabouts and am probably a lot like you -- given to anger and pride and self-righteousness, or worse.  Once, I had a full-on Messiah complex and thought I was this shining end-times prophet, if not a Michael the Archangel figure.  So submitting myself to God and fighting through pride has been my life's work, you could say.

Here is what I've learned though.  We can give God the burden of this Church crisis, we don't need to carry it -- nor can we.  The pride comes in when you want to be the one who suffers the most from the crisis, who is the most angry.

You complain about all the backbiting in the trad groups, yet instead of working from within these trad groups, you are sitting at home thinking you are more charitable and thus more Catholic than they are -- see the trap?  You in turn are now backbiting them and you are the ultimate Catholic alone in your bubble.

Alexandria, work your magic!  She prayed for me when I was in a situation like yours, and it seemed to work.

I can attest the improvements in Raoul!!

Aelexandria is somewhat like you, though I think her heart/mind/souls is becoming clearer and less confused...

CMRI is looking a bit to Americanist is some, likely nto all, of her members-but again, fallible people in bad times....it happens in the human element...

also, Jennifer stated something about the earthly church is messed up or gone, something like that-no it is not, Christ is here with us, not vaguely off in the distant sky....if the Church were dead here on earth, Jesus lied in Mt 16, the Mormons and Jack Chick were right, basically, the Church failed and disappeared...in other words, Christ was a failure...

Hello... I stumbled across this site and found a few topics interesting and seeing how there appears to be more freedom concerning the discussion of topics which are forbidden elsewhere I thought I would register.

I'm 35 years old married w/ 3 children. In case it might interest or edify someone here I 'll go a little longer:

I grew up in the V2 Church, was schooled in the V2 schools and lost my faith. To be completely honest I must admit I'm not sure if I ever had faith to begin with so in honesty I cannot and do not blame my V2 upbringing nor the lousy schooling. I lived a life of sin until Easter Sunday when I was 18 years old. God granted me the grace of true contrition for my sins. I never had any feelings for God or religion or anything until then; I received communion every Sunday unworthily and I do not recall ever having belief in the Real Presence yet God chose to bestow His mercy on me. I was pierced to the heart w/ remorse for my sins as I gazed upon the beautiful sight of Christ crucified and the choir sang, "Alleluia Christ is risen!" That day the choir sounded like angels which truly pierced me. I was converted from that point on started realizing the truth of God's existence and started having a personal relationship w/ God. I knew He could hear me and see me and I would talk to Him for the first time in my life.

I began to devour everything I could on the faith I neglected my entire life. Luckily my mom had an extensive library of TAN books and other good, solid, Catholic books that left me craving more.

I entertained the thought of a religious vocation only later to feel called to the married state. Four years after my conversion I relapsed into sin for years at a time but always w/ the thought in my mind of God and how one day I would need to return to Him. My foolish presumption was clearly an abuse of God's mercy but I was fortunate that God would have me back when the time came.

Right after the time of my conversion God led me almost immediately to the traditional Catholic faith by introducing me to the Latin Mass. My mom told me about this strange old mass where the Priest faced the tabernacle - how weird yet how appropriate- I thought. At my beckoning we journeyed down to witness this spectacle one hour away. At first I found parts of it distasteful. The silence was annoying, not knowing when to stand or kneel was even more so. I would go back time and time again but not exclusively. Later, it would come to grow on me and draw me in.

I drifted from new mass to true Mass off and on and stayed exclusively to the Bishop approved Mass centers. Later I married my wife and we had our first child. We would occasionally attend the TLM at the FSSP at this point in our life but mostly the NO. This gradually changed when I noticed myself having to explain to our now two children that we shouldn't do this or that even though everyone else at Mass was doing it or that the Priest was wrong about this or that. I was incessantly having to contradict what was going on at Mass and what the Priest was saying.  Well, one day the Priest mentioned something about the old covenant being valid.... I questioned him after mass and he affirmed what he said in ambiguous language such as "God never revokes His promises." We left that Church only to start going to another NO parish close by. Well, I kid you not, within a couple of weeks this Priest also started to talk about how the old covenant has not been revoked and this time before he had a chance to finish I said, "Let's go!" and marched my whole family out of Mass right in the middle of the homily. Being slow to learn and feeling like we're missing out by not attending daily Mass somewhere when we could we went back to the first parish I mentioned. All went well for a while although I was still conscious of the contradictions and telling my children we shouldn't do this or that.  Well, the Priest gets up and starts talking about how the Church is unjust for not allowing women Priests! I sat their looking at my children's little heads looking at this Priest and hoping that they weren't understanding him.. but then it hit me and I thought to myself, "WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU DOING??!? WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO YOUR CHILDREN?!?" We left after Mass and I pulled my membership from that parish and have left to the traditional Mass exclusively. Never again will I submit my loved ones to nonsense and blasphemy!

So, now, we homeschool our children and attend Mass at the FSSP or SSPX and maintain the traditional disciplines and theology of the preconciliar era.

I believe Pope Benedict XVI is the reigning Pope but do not hold sedevacantism as an impossible theory.

I'm unashamed to have a nice little bonfire in the backyard consisting of protestant books and bibles and heretical catholic books while enjoying a nice cigar and an affordable single malt scotch (yes, there is such a thing - try Speyburn)  :wine-drinking:

Anyway, I hope to learn a lot and contribute where I may.

Thanks for reading!

Hi Jennifer :jumping2: :jumping2: :jumping2: :jumping2:

I hope you'll feel welcome in spite of some rather un-neccesary comments directed toward you!

Thank you very much, Elizabeth.  I appreciate the sentiment

Despite what the others are accusing me of, I am not confused.  I do not believe the True Chuch has ceased to exist;  it just cannot be found under the guise of "traditionalist sects" (definitely not found in the Novus Ordo or VII heresy).  Knowing what is out there regarding the disobedience of Canon Law, and the scandals within these groups, I don't understand how others can justify/rationalize the actions fo these men, or the people who vehemently defend them.  There simply cannot be valid masses, or valid sacraments coming from these renegades.  But, I just thought I would try and put this out there so people know where I stand.  I don't fall on the cafeteria catholicism bandwagon, and goodness knows these groups are full of it.  Anything that is meant to divide, cannot be Catholic.  Perhaps I am too simplistic for these "online self proclaimed Catholic scholars"/"armchair theologians".  

"They wil ridicule Christian simplicity; they will call it folly and nonsense, but they will have the hightest regard for advanced knowledge, and for the skill by which the axioms of the law, the precepts of morality, the Holy Canons and religious dogmas are clouded by senseless questions and elaborate arguments.As a result, no principle at all, however holy, authentic, ancient, and certain it may be, will remain free of censure, criticism, false interpretationns, modification, and delimitation by MAN" - Ven. Bartholomew Holzhauser 17th Century on the End Times

I ran across the site while googling the (in?)famous Backyard Rad Trads. One of their recent interviews was sent to me and I googled them wondering about who they are, their background, etc... trying to glean a little more of their perspective. I'm tending to trust my first impression though. In the meantime this seems like a forum I might enjoy! I find it difficult to bond with my neighbors as none of them believe or live anything like us, so this forum might give me that intellectual/spiritual fresh air that I need now and then. I am a wife and mother so if I'm here too much, please tell me to get back to my duties! JK, I shouldn't be around too much but I will enjoy checking in now and then. I like what I see so far.

I think Back Yard Rad Trads is a great site.  The interview with the Palestinian Catholic man is excellent!  Jim, the host is  an SSPX Catholic who lives in Post Falls Idaho with his family.
Welcome to the forum.
 :alcohol:

I have been posting here for a bit, but just noticed this thread.

I am what most people here would call a conservative NO type, or perhaps a semi-trad.  I an not comfortable with the SSPX's canonical situation, and at present am not willing to attend their Masses.  My parish has a very conservative priest, who remarkably went to an extremely liberal seminary and used to be quite liberal himself.  There is a Tridentine Mass celebrated at our church by an FSSP priest every Sunday, which I usually attend.  The NO Mass is reverent and the sermons are orthodox.  I go to daily Mass there, which is NO.  There are also eastern rite churches around (Byzantine and Maronite) which I go to as well.  

I am a widower, with 4 grown children, one of whom is a Byzantine priest.  (My wife was Byzantine.)  I am fortunately able to retire soon, while still pretty young.  I intent to begin formation to be ordained a deacon.

Since I gave info on myself on the thread 'Changes' I shall not repeat it here, but continue from when we went back to the Jesuit's traditional independent Mass & another odyssey of faith began.  
 
The Jesuit was elderly & had found a young priest to help him with his growing flock.  When the Jesuit died, the young priest took over and things started downhill.  Some people left to attend a SPPX chapel miles away.  I stayed on with the 2 youngest children (the 2 oldest had married & moved on).
Dr. Drolesky had met the Jesuit & left an essay which Father encouraged us to read.  Dr. Drolesky also gave some talks at the church under the young priest & I started following Dr. Drolesky on 'Christ or Chaos' on the computer.  I thought as he did.  When he started writing about the sad situation at SGG church in Ohio I paid attention.  That's how I found 'CathInfo'.  SGG had their Vipers of Vaudeville.  We had the Laugh Factory as the priest constantly flung one-liners from the pulpit & would joke about sacred things.  When I respectfully approached him about it, he said he did it because one of the reason why the NO came into being was that the older priests were Jansenists!  I couldn't believe my ears!  If that were so then my parents, all my aunts & uncles and all the saints I ever read about were Jansenists too. Things got worse.  SGG has Whatever (Quidlibit). We have the Funny Papers commonly known as the church bulletin.   I read CathInfo because I don't feel alone.  There's much more to the story but I now attend churches miles away.  Dr. Drolesky printed 2 emails I received from this priest that were shocking & so I left them to their jokes and social club. This priest missed his calling as a stand-up comic.  His sermons are puerile & downright embarrassing.
In short, I was a thorn in this priest's side & have been a thorn in the side of others I've encountered along the Way.

I'm really not interested in discussions and only read Gladius & a couple of others.  Gladius is always right on.  I thought he was an older man because of his knowledge & astuteness & was surprised to find that he's young!  I liked to read Elizabeth too but was greatly surprised and disappointed with her views on Malachi Martin.  How can one defend the undefendable?!
 

I'm new here as of today. I also frequent FishEaters, and can sympathize with some of what I read here concerning others' experiences at FE.  I avoid labels, but I'm a traditional Catholic, currently have only the NO option locally (well, longer story, but anyway..)

I believe I was made aware of CathInfo on a thread at FE where the discussion was turning toward something "anti-Semetic" (so-called).  

I'm in my 40's, been married seven years and have three children.  I'm a scientist.  I am of German descent and live in the midwest US.  The rest is unimportant, most likely, or will come out in some future discussion.

I'm pleased to have found this forum, and hope to get to know everyone better.  Some may recognize my handle; it's the same I have at FE.

What's the FE moderator's position?  I gathered that primarily from the information on FE other than the forum, and expected most of the members to be fairly consistent.  I was surprised by the poll, especially the two-option poll.  I think SSPX uses the 1962 Missal.  Do many use the 1956 Missal who at least agree that Benedict XVI is Pope?  Who are they?