Yeah it's late but Fisher More College and my Two Cents

UPDATE Mar 8 2014 244pm EST: 

I have found Three more blogs which not only discussed the Fisher More college properly, these authors share similar sentiments that I have expressed in this post and others, which is contributing to a lack of desire among Catholic Faithful to want to consider attending the Latin Mass.

1. Scott Eric ALT - http://scottericalt.com/why-latin-mass-onlyists-are-destroying-the-latin-mass/

2. Lisa Graas - http://www.lisagraas.com/2014/03/03/critics-of-bishop-olson-make-me-leery-of-attending-a-tlm/

And the "cream of the crop" so to speak, a priest whose inside view has been essential to the situation with the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate,
3. FFI's very own Fr. Angelo Geiger. a.k.a. Mary Victrix. 
http://maryvictrix.com/2014/03/06/what-the-fisher-more-situation-teaches-us/#more-7415. He sums up best my sentiments here:

"Furthermore, many of the traditionalists seem oblivious to the fact that their propaganda campaign fails to accomplish what needs to be done most, which is to sell the case [of the Latin Mass] to those who are bit unprepared to accept it.  But that does not seem to be what some of them are after.  Indeed, the flame-throwing propagandists are their own worst enemies.

It would appear what some of them really want is an all out counter-revolution against anyone that would oppose the rad trad agenda.  And this is why the objections of men like Dr. Marshall lead to his resignation; why in response to such objections the institution becomes increasingly more radicalized, and why when the hens come home to roost—and it was inevitable that they would—it is everyone else’s fault, except the change agents who stoked the flames.

They can argue all they want about the legal issues involved, but it is very unlikely that under either Pope Francis or even Pope Benedict there would ever be a reversal of such a decision in the face of the facts which inevitably the Diocese of Fort Worth has documented and would be prepared to use if challenged.  So the rad trads will blame the bishop as other bishops watch attentively and conclude that the Most Reverend Michael Olsen did exactly what needed to be done.  No bishop wants this kind of trouble in his diocese.    People can complain foul as much as they want and all they will accomplish is to learn nothing from the lesson.  Apparently, even the FSSP has backed away.  They don’t need the trouble either.

The more the moderates in the movement are marginalized and the more the RC radical types are the principle spokesmen, the more the regular folk are going to identify the Extraordinary Form of the liturgy with anti-conciliar ideology, conspiracy theory, antisemitism and geocentrism.  Complain all you want.  That is just the way it is.  I feel for men like Patrick Archbold, but what does he expect?  As it turns out, Michael Voris might be the smartest man in the traditionalist room—not that I agree with him entirely—for having thrown his rad trad friends overboard."

UPDATE Mar 8 2014 215pm EST: 

I just found this website commenting about the situation. Reading it, this is probably the best, plain "news speak" or "fact-finding" analysis of the situation anyone could read so far: http://www.aleteia.org/en/religion/article/fisher-more-college-controversy-over-extraordinary-form-5812668111781888?page=3

_________     __________    _________    __________    _________    _______    _______

Hello Everyone,

So it's been already beaten to death by the Trad Behaving Badly (TBB) and conservative blogs alike, but as of this past week, one of the TBB sites broke out the news that a bishop under 50 years old, banned Fisher More College in the USA from celebrating the EF Mass. While I hate giving web hits to TBBs, I need to link the original source article here at Rorate Caeli (lest they sue me), for those who don't know what the original fuss is all about.

I decided to pull back for a bit, knowing the usual culprits would cry a foul and start doing anything from wanting a metaphorical pound of flesh from the "Spirit of Vatican II" bishop who banned the Mass, to attacking the Papacy of Francis by linking the ban with the Franciscans of the Friars Immaculate to this event, and claim that this is the start of the "Franciscan" attack to destroy Catholic Traditionalism. Good Job Rorate Caeli. You guys just acted in every sense like TBBs with this one.

MY HOW WE FORGET HOW POPE FRANCIS TOLD OFF A GROUP OF BISHOPS FROM ITALY SOME MONTHS AGO IN AN AUDIENCE, THE LATIN MASS IS NOT GOING TO BE BANNED THERE, BUT TO BE WARY OF EXTREMIST ACTIVITIES!!!

I figured a move like this wouldn't be without good reason, or at least good speculation as to the ban, because a younger bishop like this wouldn't be so naieve as to think his actions wouldn't be spread across the internet and pens and keyboards would be flying like mad against his (Arch)diocesan office or the Vatican dicasteries. Not to mention the younger types ordained in the JPII/B16 papacies, seem to be more neutral/central theo-politically speaking, or more open/friendly to Traditional Catholicism.

Thankfully, Fr. Z, the ever so valiant defender of Catholic tradition and truth, has shed light on this situation thanks to a tertiary source. See his post here. Now, when I see these points, I have valid concern for the college, and the TBBs have lost some of their validity. Supposedly ....

• In May a prof of FMC (Fisher More College) gave a talk and denied aspects of Vatican II [Highly true. In fact the first half of this speech angered Dr. Taylor Marshall so much he walked out before the second 1/2 of the speech]
• The FSSP priests withdrew their services at FMC some time ago.[TRUE!]
• Taylor Marshall, married with several children, resigned his job at FMC without another job. [So True it is not funny. See HIS official statement on the matter here]
• At Thanksgiving, 2013, Fr. Nicholas Gruner, the suspended Fatima Priest, said Mass at FMC.[Likely True, though still looking for an absolute statement of proof]. 
• These things took place when the Diocese of Fort Worth was vacant.[Partially true. From what I'm reading, it sounds like things were starting to blacken under +Vann's reign, but many more things happened when there was no overseeing bishop for the diocese.]
• “This is NOT about hatred for the TLM.” [True, cause, like, ANY attack on the TLM is spearheaded by evil "Spirit of Vatican II" clergy. There is mutual agreement though, by bloggers and involved people alike.]

In addition, a blog called Veneremur Cernui, who unfortunately supports the original source blog, DOES shed light on the situation as this blogger either has contacts in the geographical region of the Diocese of Fort Worth, OR lives in the area themself. http://veneremurcernui.wordpress.com/2014/03/03/fisher-more-denied-ability-to-offer-tlm/

Finally, some of the best analysis of the college's situation comes from an ex-employee, the EF-friendly and ever so charitable and scholarly Dr. Taylor Marshall. He is a good and noble orthodox Catholic who is pro-EF, and was employed at the college until recently. He also runs an online institute I am part off with great Catholic education in an online format. Considering the other signs, I say that this move MUST have been made with solid reason. Might I also remind you Dr. Marshall has commented respectfully on the traditional catholic situation and the EF in post like these. I highly IMPLORE you to read his statement here from his Facebook page.

Seeing these signs and the testimonies of these commentators worries me, as a young Catholic who has partaken to an extent in the EF. I have seen some of this darkness surrounding the EF/Traditional Catholicism from my own archdiocese , and the attitudes prevalent in these signs are not good. They smell TOTALLY TRAD BEHAVING BADLY! While I do agree with the sentiment this situation was handled imprudently and there were better alternatives that could have been done (H/T Fr. Z), I cannot side with the TBBs on this one. Might I also add that financial imprudence is also tied into this president's antics, and that is NEVER good in any situation.

Everyone out there in Traditional Catholicism, let this be a lesson to all of you with what this Michael guy has done. If you decide to be TBB, side with or have sympathies with TBB elements of the EF/Traditional Catholic movement (e.g. SSPX, have radical sentiments, act like jerks online and in person ...), you are going to spoil it for us all, and get the EF killed in your dioceses, the Archdiocese of Toronto included. The (Arch)diocesan offices and the episcopacy (a.k.a. the bishops) are not stupid and will not tolerate such nonsense, and will strip you of the Latin Mass by any means with Canon Law or reason should it be warranted. So DON'T give them any reason to do so such as: Spewing your hate and your calumny, detraction, and slander online and in person; aligning with priests who do not have valid canonical faculties and societies that use the EF but are not in communion with the Church, even so far as to call them ``friends;`` believing in and saying those things you know will anger the episcopacy (e.g. you hate Vatican II? Keep that stuff in your drawing rooms and cigar rooms in private in your houses!) Adhere to these common sense guidelines, and most of the time, it won't be touched. And if the bishops are being un-pastoral in such a light, try to reason with them like in Scripture. That, and if their actions are so improper, they will eventually come to light. Christ won't tolerate His Holy Mass being smeared by his alter Christi like that. There IS divine justice, though that applies to EVERYONE. If you do have a pro-EF bishop though, work with him. Support him. Aid him and be joyful and Francis-like. And don't slander, detract, and calumnize him and his office.

And as for those who say "boo hoo" to the accusation that the TBBs spoil the TLM for us all, maybe your diocese has its own "liturgical police" or bishops who police the EFs and ensure TBBs leave, or you and your colleagues are ensuring that the mouths of the TBBs are shut or kept to their little dung-pile in the corner. However, most do not, including mine, and TBBs DO RUIN the mass for people like myself online and in person. While I can agree with you theoretically and theologically as to your arguments on paper, the situation practically speaking does not support your arguments.

I think the line Fr. Z. keeps saying, something about the "Maquis", seems like the best approach here. And that it all I will say on this situation. And as always, if you are angry and upset at me, go spew you vitriol in your own blogs and private domiciles, as long as Canada/the world allows for free speech on the Internet and private home conversation. I also won't be responding to comments/e-mails from any angry party or Rorate on this one, and won't pull my content down. So don't try it. You do, your comment might just be worthy enough for posting, as an example of what TBBs do. If you have done such stuff before, you'll also be formally banned here at S.U.D.

Pax, Julian.

Highlight: Dave Armstrong Defends Benedict XVI and his Reform of the Reform Spledidly from TBBs and Naysayers

Hello Everyone.

So, the next, fad for the Trads Behaving Badly (TBBs), and additionally from some new allies, the "naysayers" (who are not necessarily TBBs, more just giving more ammunition to validate the TBBs in their minds), is to say "The Reform of the Reform" touted by Pope Benedict XVI, is DEAD.

Well, Dave Armstrong, one of the best modern Catholic Apologists on the Internet, who has done frequent work with North America's Catholic Answers in past, has decided to critically examine the TBBs/naysayers' latest attack from the right, and to speak with the mind of the Church and defend it.

Please see these postings to dispel the latest shenanigans of the TBB side:

Part One & Part Two.

Pax, Julian.

Wow ... Maybe Someone Should Tell Jimmy Fallon about the Latin Mass

Well, you'd think everyone in show business is Anti-Catholic. Turns our Mr. Fallon who's now leaving his talk show, actually was inspired to become a priest once. In the NPR Fresh Air interview he did recently, he went on about his Catholic upbringing. Two really cool gems came out of that to me:

First from the interviewer, Gross:  "GROSS: And there are comparisons, I think, between a theater and a church. They are just, kind of, places that are separated from outside reality."

Second, from Jimmy Fallon about when he tried to return to the Church, and the "horrors" he encountered in coming to Mass in L.A. (no surprise there if any of you have Googled the notorious Catholic education conference held there annually):

"GROSS: Do you still go to church?

Mr. FALLON: I don’t go to – I tried to go back. When I was out in L.A. and I was kind of struggling for a bit. I went to church for a while, but it’s kind of, it’s gotten gigantic now for me. It’s like too… There’s a band. There’s a band there now, and you got to, you have to hold hands with people through the whole Mass now, and I don’t like doing that. You know, I mean, it used to be the shaking hands piece was the only time you touched each other.

GROSS: Mm-hmm.

Mr. FALLON: Now, I’m holding hand – now I’m lifting people. Like Simba.

(Laughter)

Mr. FALLON: I’m holding them (Singing) ha nah hey nah ho.

(Speaking) I’m doing too much. I don’t want – there’s Frisbees being thrown, there’s beach balls going around, people waving lighters, and I go, ‘This is too much for me.’ I want the old way. I want to hang out with the, you know, with the nuns, you know, that was my favorite type of Mass, and the grotto, and just like straight up, just Mass Mass.

Seriously? Why hasn't Mr. Fallon searched the internet for "traditional Catholic Mass?" We got your solution for you Jimmy Boy! Come on down to the Mass Mass of All Ages! No gimmicks, just a priest, Christ, some good ol' boys in surplice and cassocks, and Heaven and Earth co-mingling in the Sacrifice of All Time! Someone, get word of the Latin Mass to him pronto!!!!

Pax, Julian. 

Hypocrisy on the Catholic Trad Blogosphere

Hey Everyone,

Lately there hasn't been motivation in my life until today to blog, but I got something finally. On one of the blogs I monitor, there was a post about how returning to the traditions of 1950's Catholicism is not going to solve the "crisis of the Church."

It is not the argument itself and the content of the post I disagree with. However, I am disagreeing more with one thing that is underlying the whole of it and other bloggers on the internet with the Catholic Trad-o-sphere: Hypocrisy.

What upsets me is that these bloggers and/or their blogs are of a hypocritical nature and a severe lack of Charity within the Church. On the one hand, being ones with authors who represent, or blogs that are about Traditional Catholicism, they write defamatory and negatively critical posts about any number of things: The local chancery office/(Arch)diocesan office, the lead bishop, our current Pope, those "cross-dressing" girls in the sanctuary at your local 8am Mass, defame and slander people like myself online who don't follow their rhetoric, etc., in addition to their behaviour outside of the blogosphere in the trad communities, all the while being its unofficial mouthpieces.

On the other hand, they then turn face and decide to praise Pope Francis despite the known trad attitude is one of distrust due not being Benedict XVI with regard to the Liturgy and the things he has said, decide to criticize their own kind and say, in essence "Radical Traditionalism" is bad, and even say that 50's Traditionalism is not the solution.

Yet if one scans their overall body of work, in archives (if they haven't maliciously edited their posts or deleted them,) these actions are clearly face-value actions which mask their overall true attitude, of which theirs is truly that of Trads Behaving Badly, an attitude that one should avoid. Even more deceptive, some of these bloggers do not identify themselves and cower behind pseudo-names to give them a cover when they spew this vile poison on the Internet.

To me, the best action that should be taken in Traditional Catholicism/Latin Mass communities, would be to stop supporting communities financially with known members exhibiting such behaviour, to complain to the priests of such communities about their behaviour online/in person, to also move to communities with positive environments and an intolerance for ``Trad Behaving Badly``behaviour, to respectfully challenge these bloggers and commentators online about what they write, and for the bloggers themselves to STOP blogging period. I doubt the last item will happen as they tend to be a stubborn lot, thinking you are part of the "Novus Ordo" Church wanting to suppress them and further the Crisis of the Church.

I`ll be honest, I haven`t been at the Latin Mass as of late. A good part of it is my current work and Novus Ordo parish responsibilities. However, the current online environment in Traditionalism AND knowing some of the more TBB types attend at my closest Latin Mass parish, has also discouraged me from wanting to be as active as I once was, and I really don`t want to go to a Latin Mass without my friends or if I am serving with my local TLM choir.

That is a load off my chest. Pax Tibi Christi, Julian.

P.S. Angry at me? Go spew your venom on your own blog. It's a free country for now on the Internet so go muck up your own backyard.

Rorate Caeli Attacks their "Hero", Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI? More Context is Needed ....

Hello Everyone

I just caught something weird right now in my blogger feed, from Rorate Caeli. The title of the article is "She wanted to convert. But she listened to Cardinal Ratzinger and died a Lutheran." (with hyperlink attached).

The summary I can draw out of this, is that this woman named Sigrid Spath, was a translator for a number of Pope Benedict XVI`s documents from Italian into the language of his heritage, German, while he was the prefect for the CDF in Rome. She was told to remain a protestant to be of better service to the Church.

WHAT????? Something smells like rotten fish here, because Rorate Caeli is supposed to be "Trad" as it were, and Benedict XVI is so revered because of Summorum Pontificum and Ecclesiae Unitatem in Trad culture. Why would Rorate post this if Benedict XVI is supposed to be one of the heroes of Traditional Catholicism for his Latin Mass documents?

On the one hand, I will re-quote another Blogger's analysis of Rorate Caeli, "Spike is Best" which I put in my last couple of posts, which summarizes well their stance on Church issues and their "authority" in the Church:
"And just a friendly neighbourhood reminder: Rorate Caeli is the schismatic-but-without-the-guts-of-declaring-it blog that on the very heels - within minutes in fact - of the public declaration of the election of Pope Francis posted "The Horror" as their reaction, and did not offer any sort of apology stating their filial obedience to the Holy Pontiff. Thus, everything they post, write, disseminate, can be dismissed out of hand without second thought whatsoever, in the full comfortable knowledge that the neo-orthodoxy which they present is entirely floated."

On the other hand, this doesn't make sense! Why would a blog that necessitates adherence to these traditional heroes as it were, attack its own? There MUST be something more to this than a senseless attack on Benedict XVI by his own "party" as it were (traditional Catholics). Something has to clarify what this is all about!

So I must ask the question, what's going on here? Is there more to this story about this translator NOT becoming a Catholic at the advice of our living Pope Emeritus??? If anyone has anything SENSIBLE and not laced with TBB vitriol to add, please do share. Just be advised there are certain people whose comments will NOT be published here, even if they are valid. So don't try it, and follow my blog rules (see September 2012).

Pax, Julian.

My Two Cents: Recent Idol Worship of Cardinal Burke by Right Wingers and Trads Behaving Badly

Hello Everyone,

I've got a bit of a beef today. It involves blog coverage and a specific article about a specific cardinal.

Over the past few days, some right-wing to Trad Behaving Badly blogs have been posting THIS article about every Traditionalist/Latin Mass goers' favourite Cardinal, Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke.

They LOVE this guy and idol worship him because they think he's an anti-thesis to the wishy-washy, spineless bishops out there and the current, "liberal" papacy of Pope Francis, the supposedly most anti-Traditionalist, fluffiest pope EVAH (credit to Fr. John Zuhlsdorf) this side of Vatican II. In addition he's one of the few Cardinals in our modern "Vatican II Church" to have celebrated a Pontifical Solemn Latin Mass and is pro-Latin Mass.

In a nutshell, I am disgusted with this article for a few reasons:

• While the original source is an Italian publication, The translated English source is the Trad Behaving Badly blog, Rorate Caeli. If you recall my last article on Jan 12th, where I highlighted an excellent analysis of the Trads Behaving Badly (TBBs) from Spike is Best, the author says this: "And just a friendly neighbourhood reminder: Rorate Caeli is the schismatic-but-without-the-guts-of-declaring-it blog that on the very heels - within minutes in fact - of the public declaration of the election of Pope Francis posted "The Horror" as their reaction, and did not offer any sort of apology stating their filial obedience to the Holy Pontiff. Thus, everything they post, write, disseminate, can be dismissed out of hand without second thought whatsoever, in the full comfortable knowledge that the neo-orthodoxy which they present is entirely floated."

• Being a TBB site, Rorate Caeli`s propaganda piece is another brick thrown at the windows of the Church. It promotes Radical Traditionalism through a good and noble prince of the Church, hijacking him like the liberals do with Pope Francis, but for their political TBB agenda. This does another dis-service for Traditional Catholics in both forms of the Roman Rite and/or Latin Mass attending Catholics.

• This is another intentional stab by these TBBs, who come dangerously close or do act sedevacantist, at our current Holy Father, Pope Francis, because he recently moved or "demoted" a number of the Benedict XVI elected/"Traditionalist" Cardinals from  key positions in the Vatican Curia or councils, and has left Cardinal Burke with only one position vs, what he had before. The TBBs also relate this demotion and reorganization as an insult to another "God" of theirs, Benedict XVI, who is a considered a "saviour" of the Church in their minds(with exception to the SSPX and sedevacantists, who believe that the ``Modern Church`` is plagued no matter who's the Bishop of Rome), because he freed the Latin Mass from public scrutiny, as well as that they view these changes as the end of the Benedict XVI types of cardinals, and in with the "liberal" Francis types. Basically, it's further pitting Francis against Benedict, when for the most part, Francis has been supporting and been supported by His Holiness Emeritus, and has been seeking the Emeritus Vicar of Christ's counsel. What an insult!

• A real big beef to me: This is a slap in the face to the other good Cardinals/ Archbishops/bishops out there who ARE doing excellent work and even "smelling like the sheep" as Pope Francis wants us to do, but because they aren't super-trads or getting their photo taken with pro-lifers on the battlefield AND being gung-ho about the Latin Mass, they are not "true" princes of the church unlike others.

I particularly am insulted and make pertinent that last point, and I use my Own Eminence as an example. I am under the spiritual authority of His Eminence, Cardinal Thomas Collins, under the Archdiocese of Toronto. He has to look after a diocese of a few million Catholics, including a number of lay organizations, as well as deal with nasty complainers through snail-mail AND online, including Trads Behaving Badly in my archdiocese, who have the gall to use smear campaigns online against himself and his Office of the Archdiocese of Toronto. Whether it`s accusing the Office/++Collins of trying to swindle people in their wills out of money like a "mercenary" as part of my Archdiocese's pastoral plan, accusing them of incompetence in other matters, or the usual complaining about x priest in x parish because he's doing something  more "traditional" or "spiritual" and not "pastoral," these people consistently attack His Eminence and the Archdiocese and know no bounds and don't care for his, nor his office's sake.  

++Collins has publically in the Catholic (and secular media, supported the Traditional Latin Mass, even going so far as to instill a priest permanently in Scarborough after the FSSP mission went bunk. He has allowed both St. Lawrence AND the Oratorians of St. Phillip Neri to have their Latin Masses in the Archdiocese. Other dioceses in this world have ZERO Latin Masses, and bishops who hate or stonewall the Latin Mass, and like, em, other things like their prestige and the "Spirit of Vatican II." If he was a nasty liberal archbishop who was all Novus Ordo-y/"Spirit of Vatican II", there wouldn't have even been the indult Mass in my diocese pre-2007 when he took over after ++Ambrozic. or he would have banned the Oratorians/St. Lawrence from having the Latin Mass, completely ignoring Summorum Pontificum + Ecclesiae Unitatem. So compared to other dioceses in the world in the "modern, Francis-led Church", one could say we are miles ahead and blessed to have this Archbishop with regard to the Latin Mass. (who could become Pope one day, of only now 4 Canadian Cardinals  ...). He DOES care about the Latin Mass, he just doesn't endorse the TBB elements hanging around, as he has indicated when he spoke last year for a Theology on Tap event to youth with the Sisters of St. Joseph, about groups in the Church being more Catholic and/or elitist that others, which is a barrier to discipleship.

Furthermore, My Eminence CONSISTENTLY, attends the Canadian national March For Life, which is held annually in May. He has been going to this for a number of years, and is known to the pro-life organizations as a pro-life bishop, alongside ... the newly-appointed Cardinal Lacroix. ++Collins even STOPPED the annual collection/payments to the questionable organization known as Development and Peace, who are known to have international partners that promote pro-abortion/contraception education and measures in other countries. Don't believe me? For the purposes of evidence to support why ++Collins would ban this collection check out the SoCon or Bust blog. Other dioceses in Canada .... not so much.

Might I also add that His Eminence has a profound respect and admiration for the young people of this Archdiocese? He makes the effort and time to see them, whether it is personally, or he GOES OUT to their events, such as the 808 community prayer and social group, and Theology on Tap nights for Young Adults, and has in past arranged for special spiritual events tied to lectures, such as the annual OCY Palm Sunday gathering. Being a young adult now involved in youth ministry, these are positive signs I look for in a prince of the Church. If that prince is not involving himself with the future of the Church, and yes, it also includes unemployed [or in a number of other's cases, underemployed] young people, then he clearly does not care much for his (arch)diocese, and the future of the Catholic Church.

So seeing an article like this, from a known TBB website, getting passed around the Internet by a number of conservative and TBB blogs, makes a Latin Mass liking, young practicing male Catholic, like me, royally cheesed off. An article like this, has no Joy of the Gospel in it, and if anything, is violating the first commandment, by putting a prince of the Church ahead of our Lord, Jesus Christ, while insulting his current Vicar all at once.

In addition, it's making the good bishops and archbishops of the world like My Eminence ++Collins, look like they are lazy and liberal, when the truth is the opposite. So what if they are not dressing in the cappa magna and holding Solemn Pontifical Masses. Does that make them any less valuable vs. ++Burke? NOT AT ALL. Thanks again for being sourpusses and spreading "Lent without Easter" again.

As for the rest of you, ``Keep Calm, and spread the Joy of the Gospel`` to paraphrase those products, and attend good Latin Mass communities who promote Traditional Catholicism in a positive light. Pax Tibi Christi, Julian Barkin.

Highlight: Spike Is Best Sums up well What Attitude Kills Traditionalism/Latin Mass

Hello Everyone,

Well, another blogger, "Spike is Best," has done a great job in dealing with the sickening attitude of the Trads Behaving Badly in a post on Traditionalism. He exactly deals with what is poisoning the progress of the Traditional Catholic movement and hence, the movement and progress of the Latin Mass in the Church. This is what I have found having been introduced to the Latin Mass two years ago. I am reprinting the words here in full, because in this instance, Spike is truly, Best.

"This is a blog post about "Traditionalism"

Pentimento has a good post up that I thought worth linking to: In Defense of the Folk Mass.

And for those who may have missed it, Colin Kerr wrote a good post about - in part - the latent gnosticism of those who call themselves "Traditionalists", not to mention the implicit schism of having two calendars (the Masses of which do not differ from each other in the same way that the Greek Mass differs from the Coptic Mass, or the Coptic Mass differs from the Melkite Mass, but differ from each other in an entirely different way, since one was brought about to reform the other, albeit without replacing it, but as its reform nonetheless, meaning there must at some point be a unification.): Grace and the Form of the Mass.

"Traditionalist" by the way is an implicitly schism-fomenting title. And the FSSP is very careful about using that term as a defining principle - in fact, they don't. They are a fraternity in submission to the Pope and one of their charisms is that they celebrate Mass in the Extraordinary Form.

That's right: the two Masses are supposed to inform each other. That's what Pope Benedict XVI said. Meaning the Novus Ordo being informed by the Extraordinary Form so that it would resemble what was actually envisioned by the Second Vatican Council? No, we can't have that! The sectarian traditionalist fundamentalists prefer the eternal dualism where the Novus Ordo universe exists as the false Matrix which they - being the enlightened Neos - will dissolve by the true and real reality of Underground Zion!
And if not dissolved, they're happy with it being the target from which they can bounce as a sounding board their precious preferences (rather than disposing their relationship with liturgy in the encounter with Christ, the Lamb who was slain who is at the heart of the Mass) by which they congratulate themselves for having such good tastes and their tastes also happen to be their salvation.

And why they prefer this?

Because there is no way the Extraordinary Form can reform the Novus Ordo without itself also being reformed. Because that is why the Novus Ordo came about, as its reform. Was it intended for the two Masses to go alongside in perpetuity with neither the twain ever meeting - and melding? Would Bendict have said that they are to inform each other if that was the case?

Nope. How so? Refer to the above paragraph. Because if the 1962 Mass does not get informed by the Novus Ordo resulting in it being changed, that means that the 1962 Liturgy is something Divinely Ordained beyond any change, which amounts to a denial of Vatican II. How the two Masses can inform each other without a melding point, in other words, while pretending to exist like they differ from each other in the same way that the Coptic Mass differs from the Melkite Mass, is, well, up to your own imagination I guess.

That's not my point anyways. They may very well not "meld". My point is that certain "Traditionalist Catholics" intuitively know the above (how reforming the Novus Ordo means reform of the 1962 Mass) and will show condemnation towards the Reform of the Reform. Is that why certain self-identifying "Traditionalists" are cynical about the phrase, "Reform of the Reform"?

You would think that these folks who write on the blogosphere about how saving the liturgy is to save the world - you would think these people would be all over the Novus Ordo, getting father to tweak various parts of the Mass towards Latin, like the Agnus Dei, towards chant (like father chanting the Gospel), towards having six candles on the altar, towards the tiniest littlest things that make a little tiny step closer to what was actually envisioned by the Second Vatican Council - you know, brick by brick.

Really they don't like brick by brick. They like throwing the bricks. Throwing them in their own condescending superiority. You might almost say it's like they've hijacked Summorum Pontificum.

And just a friendly neighbourhood reminder: Rorate Caeli is the schismatic-but-without-the-guts-of-declaring-it blog that on the very heels - within minutes in fact - of the public declaration of the election of Pope Francis posted "The Horror" as their reaction, and did not offer any sort of apology stating their filial obedience to the Holy Pontiff. Thus, everything they post, write, disseminate, can be dismissed out of hand without second thought whatsoever, in the full comfortable knowledge that the neo-orthodoxy which they present is entirely floated."