Catholic ultratraditionalism
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 Second Vatican Council, especially the Novus Ordo Missae, i.e., the revised rite of Mass. Traditional Catholics normally attend the older Tridentine Mass.
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; the more extreme ones claim the Popes since the Second Vatican Council are heretics and have no authority and have even elected their own Popes.
"Conservative Catholic" vs. "Traditional Catholic"
The distiction between a "conservative" and "traditional" Catholic can depend on who is using the terms, but some general distictions can be made.
The differences usually concern attitudes towards the documents and interpretations of the Second Vatican Council. The attitudes also usually differ toward the and the postconciliar changes in the Mass contained in a new edition of the Roman Missal called the Novus Ordo Missae by Pope Paul VI. This is, however, hardly the only point of difference.
"Conservative" Catholics tend to accept all the documents and interpretations of the Second Vatican Council while seeking a more "conservative" interpretation of them. "Traditional" Catholic tend to maintain that many or all of the documents contain some error or hold that the language is ambiguous and permits error; examples include the Council's documents on ecumenism and collegiality. This leads "Conservatives" to defend most or all actions of the Pope and Bishops, while "traditionalists" are often skeptical of these actions and motives.
Today's "conservatives" are entirely different than conservatives in authority in the Church immediately before, during and after the Second Vatican Council and more akin to the liberals of that time. "Traditionalists" tend to mirror the old conservatives. Because of this some refer to today's "conservatives" as "neo-conservatives" or even "neo-Catholics". This situation is illustrated by the case of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, who is today labelled "ultra-conservative", but was considered a radical leftist theologian during the Second Vatican Council. Ratzinger has said that he has become more conservative, but that the world and the human element of the Church have moved so far to the left that even a progressive of his conviction is a conservative today.
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 John Paul II. Despite this, they often reject liberal opinions of Catholic prelates and teachings that contradict previously accepted doctrine.
The smaller group, called "sedevacantists", believe in the papacy itself but reject one or more of the "Vatican II popes" (Pope John XXIII, Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul I, and Pope John Paul II). They consider these men antipopes claiming they have taught heresy and lost their authority as Pontiff. A small subset of sedevacantist groups , often called "Conclavists" have elected popes of their own.
Chinese Catholicism
Not all groups which consider themselves Catholic yet reject Vatican II are considered traditional Catholic. Most notably, in the People's Republic of China, the state sponsored Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA) denies the papacy entirely and rejects all pronouncements by the Vatican after the Communist Revolution in 1949 including those regarding the Tridentine Mass. 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.
Traditional Catholic claims
Traditional Catholics see the Second Vatican Council as a Council whose documents were marked by an ambiguity which has led to error or which contained errors themselves. Some see direct error in some of the statements. Foremost among these perceived errors are:
- a new collegiality which they claim has weakened the papacy and made Bishops' conferences a veritable "second earthly head" of the Church. Traditional Catholics see this as contradicting Pope Leo XIII's Satis Cognitum the documents of Vatican I, 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 Thomas Aquinas in his Summa Theologica, II-II-104.
- 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 Pope Pius XII's Mystici Corporis Christi among other papal documents, or leads to false ideas of "ecumenism".
- a new focus on "the dignity of man" which they claim ignores original sin 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 Pope Pius XI's Quas Primas, Pope Leo XIII's Testem Benevolentiae Nostrae, Pope Pius X's Our Apostolic Mandate (Notre Charge Apostolique), and other papal and conciliar documents.
- a new "ecumenism" that has as its goal a "unity" that traditional Catholics claim don't see as requiring conversion to the Catholic faith. Traditional Catholics see this as contradicting Sacred Scripture, Pope Pius XI's Mortalium Animos, Pope Pius XII's Humani Generis and other documents.
- 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.
- 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 Pope John XXIII; 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); Pope Gregory XVI'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 Mass 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, Pragmitism, and moral relativism.
Differing Traditional and Conservative Catholic attitudes towards Vatican II
Most traditional Catholics see the Second Vatican Council 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 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. Traditional Catholics see the Second Vatican Council as having been 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 Pope Pius X'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 organically, 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.
- 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 Catholics worship at: "indult" Masses (those "Tridentine" Masses offered with the permission of local Bishops); chapels of priestly societies, such as the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) or Fraternity of St. Peter (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.
Attitude of most Roman Catholics towards Traditional Catholics
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 Arian heresy when the majority of Bishops were heretics or condoned heresy. Catholics like Saint Athanasius (who was excommunicated by Pope Liberius) and St. Joan of Arc (who was also excommunicated) were vilified yet ultimately canonized. The Catholic perception is that eternal truth does not change and that what was taught 2,000 years ago, 1,000 years ago, and 50 years ago is still true today. Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos, Prefect 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...." ¹ Nonetheless, the traditional expression of the faith is actively fought by many of the Roman Catholic clergy and hierarchy.
Traditional Catholic groups include, among others:
See also
Books supportive of the traditional Catholic movement
- 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
- 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
- Griff Ruby, "The Resurrection of the Roman Catholic Church - A Guide to the Traditional Catholic Movement" ISBN 0595250181 and ISBN 0595771491
Footnotes
1 An Exclusive Interview with Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos, , Vol. 13, No. 2, Spring 2004, pp. 5–6.
