News is Crap

Wherever you get your news, it’s crap.  I don’t care what your politics are, if you are only sticking with one source, you are functioning with only one eye.

And then there’s the Catholic news.

Enough has been written about the mainstream media, so I won’t say more.  But I want to share my thoughts with you from my perspective about a troubling trend.

You see, Reader-land, it came up when I was getting frustrated with Jack last night as we were trying to help him study for religion.  He didn’t study.  And after getting upset, I told him what I firmly believe, even if I don’t practice it well; the faith is the most important thing we have, and we have to know it.  I’m not talking Aquinas levels of thought here, but the basics!

Why?  Because when we die, and we are all going to die, all the crap that you own, all your relationships, your job, your marriage even, all that is gone.  You are just allowed a suit and a box.  If you think this life is all there is, well then it’s lonely.  If you believe in an afterlife, you still can’t it with you.  So you need to understand what you believe so you can live it, because when you’re dead it’s too late!

What do I mean?  Things like doctrine.  Things like the theological virtues, the Sacraments, the actual teachings of Jesus.  I am amazed at the small amount of Catholics who know what they believe!

And this gets me to the news being crap.  There are many Catholic publications that are not in accord with church doctrine.  Hell, there are many Catholics who are the same.  If you only read those news sources, you would think the Catholic Church changed everything to modernize, and everything is awesome except for the rigid Catholics.

So you go looking for the other perspective, and on that side, the vitriol towards the Vatican ii crowd or the so-called modernists is worse than the other side!  Supposed traditional Catholics!  Just today, I read a piece condemning Catholics who try to follow the reforms of Vatican ii as squishy and believing that the church didn’t exist before that council.  Then in the comments, sedevacantism, claims that the council was fake, insults to saints and journalists who do not deserve it.  This is on a site that is very good with breaking news other outlets don’t or won’t cover, and who are faithful Catholics.  But they are crueler than any protestant.

A site that professes to be faithful to the church has a duty to not only call out the modernist heretics, but it also has to call out the traditionalist heretics too, and not allow their website to become a platform for vitriol and schism. 

Just yesterday I read something by Cardinal Burke, a stalwart in tradition.  He said in answer to a question that he is afraid that Pope Francis will lead the church into schism.  I couldn’t believe it, a bishop, a Cardinal, steeped in the tradition of the church, is afraid of this.  Why is it so incredible? This pope is the worst one in over a century, and he is wreaking havoc every time he speaks.  Many people think he’s not even the real pope!

To answer, I have to take you back to Hegel, Marx, and Charlie Darwin.  You see, combining their philosophies led to communism, naziism, and utilitarianism, and with them came modernism.  Their thought that society is greater than the individual and the concepts that societal customs and all tradition must be smashed created a cocktail of thought that entered the church.

Let me be very clear.  The rot visible in the church today began well before Vatican ii.  The hierarchy that was in power during and after Vatican ii, who ignored the reform, were indoctrinated into these philosophies as children and young adults.  These were people who grew up in the old rites and still lost their faith!

The point being that tradition has never left the church, and returning to an outward form of a rite will not magically make Fr Boomer and his heresy disappear.  It takes catechesis and a desire to focus beyond the finish line.  The things of the earth are passing, even the traditional Latin mass.  Yes it’s beautiful, but it will be revealed beyond the veil in heaven.

The problem now?  We aren’t teaching our kids.  Have you been to a confirmation recently?  Or a first Communion?  More than half the adults don’t believe, they are just there because they want to check the box.  I remember in the early church, the deacons would go around crying “The doors, the doors!  Wisdom!  Be attentive!”  You know why?  To throw out those who would betray the mass, non-Catholics, and even catechumens.  They would lock them out.

We aren’t teaching our Cardinals, either.  We, we laity, who use artificial birth control, cohabitate before marriage, vote for pro-death politicians, all things the church condemns, we give that example to our priests and bishops and they bend the knee to keep the coffers full.  And then they forget the words of Christ.

Back to Burke, and why it is a big deal that he said that.  Schism carries the automatic penalty of excommunication.  According to Vatican I, that can’t happen to the pope because of the promise of Jesus in Matthew when He names Simon Cephas.  In nearly two thousand years, no valid pope has ever publicly led the flock into schism.  He can’t.  He can personally be a heretic, and be excommunicated after death like Honorius, but not publicly.  It is the protection of the Holy Spirit, and for Cardinal Burke not to remember that is troubling indeed.

Same for all the traditionalists, and the same for all the modernists trying to change the church from within.  It can’t happen.

So be careful what you read.   It’s probably crap.