It's Happening. Latin Mass Growth Amongst Youth

MARCH 12, 2013 Note from the Author: This post, originally titled "It's Happening ... Messenger is dark" has been edited from its original post. I chose to edit this post after reflection and discussion with close friends and confidants on the matter, after they viewed the original post. While I still am against examples of mis-representation of the Extraordinary Form/Traditional Catholicism, I have re-edited this post to convey a better level of charity, while airing my disagreements with Voris` way of evangelization, particularly his weekday free YouTube content, the Vortex. 

Hello Everyone.

I become highly disappointed at examples of those of the Extraordinary Form community, on-line and in person who provide poor example of what it means to be ``traditionally`` Catholic or ``solid, orthodox, etc.`` It upsets me because it discourages young people, or any regular Catholic,  from wanting to explore the Latin Mass, particularly when it is still thought of as being improved upon by the Novus Ordo, or villified by others in the majority of the Catholic Church.

I decline in the promotion of material from those speakers or "prophets" unless there is just cause. This post is an example of promoting for a just cause, though I do have my reservations. Sometimes even these ``examples`` generate a good fruit for the general Catholic population (and sometimes, non-Catholics). Even the Lord, Jesus, was highly patient with such individuals, and in the Gospel readings for the Novus Ordo in the Second Sunday in Lent, year C, Jesus told of the parable of a stubborn tree yet to give fruit. We know that the fruit is ``spiritual`` as well as corporal. Last week, Michael Voris of ChurchMilitantTV (CMTV) provided such a fruit online.

Michael Voris obtained his Bachelors in sacred theology (S.T.B.) from Notre Dame college in the USA. Notre Dame is the famous college known for the popular college football team, the Fighting Irish, featured in the Sean Astin film RUDY. He used to be part of a national/state news network (CNN?) but his brother's death made him drop it all to use up his savings and start up what was formerly RealCatholicTV, now ChurchMilitantTV after his diocesan bishop + Vigneron, came down hard on him to drop "Catholic" from his name. There must have been serious reason for an EF-supporting AND celebrating bishop to have done that and wield Canon Law for that purpose. CMTV is an internet media organization with the intention of "proper" catechesis via electronic media, with Michael being the front-man and head speaker. Michael travels across the globe in addition to work at his Detroit studio, giving speaking engagements set out to catechise the ignorant.

My Reservations: I, Julian Barkin, do not support Michael Voris in his mandate on CMTV. I feel that often a times, he promotes a critical and "hard-line" stance in his catechesis, teaching, and frequently likes to point out ``what`s going wrong`` in the Church today. Many a time on "The Vortex," his editorial show on YouTube, he takes critical aim at what's wrong in the Catholic Church (institutionally speaking) and sometimes, highlights those who do it right, be they (a) person(s) a cardinal, bishop, priest, or lay Catholics. Those highly blunt criticisms will be the topic of the day and he exposes how they are not adhering to the teaching of the Catholic Church. The show's motto is "The Vortex, where lies and falsehoods are trapped and exposed."

Sometimes, yes it is necessary to use alternate forms of media to draw attention to this, I mean, I am an example myself and I would be a hypocrite to say I do not here on S.U.D. Sometimes, or more often than we know, traditional, or proper lines of communication with the necessary diocesan/episcopalial/Vatican officials, fails for many reasons (e.g. willful/unintentional ignorance, lay staff blocking and hide things from their superiors, lay staff told to ignore certain "concerns" and treat people as CAVEs (complains about virtually everything), politics, etc.) However, I do wonder how many times Voris, in his pointing of the finger, as well as others, have actually contacted the appropriate diocesan authorities on the matters he brings up. Has Voris tried the proper route to bring up matters every single time, and only when this has failed has he used CMTV to air out necessary ``detriments to the souls of the Faithful`` and not in a spirit of calumny and detraction???

Furthermore, having experienced this myself, more sensitive individuals or those who have a natural gravitation to cynicism or extreme-traditionalism, may not be able to handle his content and fall into a spirit, lacking in charity and not truly unified with the mind and Sacred Heart of our Lord, Jesus. I was one of those individuals in past with his content produced on the "Vortex." I used to watch his videos every day when I was fresh and new to Traditional Catholicism, and it made me hateful of any priest and bishop not orthodox/EF partaking. It required spiritual counselling with one of my parish priests in order to truly sort this out, that this was not good for my soul and to be highly selective when I view his content.

There has also been controversial spats on the internet, and other things said that leave me to question his overall mandate (e.g. desires a Catholic monarchy for world government, spats with Mark Shea via his "followers".)

However, I have decided to make rare exception to Voris and post this video. He highlighted something relevant to the mandate here at Servimus Unum Deum. The title of the video is "The Next Pope and the Latin Mass." The first half of the video, is relevant here at S.U.D. Have a watch and find out. Hint; "Tonight... we are young .... so we'll set the world on fire ...." - Fun. "We are Young."

Pax, Julian.