Modernist Benedictines Are Afraid of Sacramentals

Editor: The modernist Monastery's new blog entry written by Father Ruff reveals an unsteady and uncertain hand. He says that the more conservative, new upcoming clergy are afraid and sneers about what he believes is a costume party, really and truly misjudging the motives of traditionalist clergy and their laity. If anyone is afraid, it's Father Ruff. Why is Father Ruff afraid? Probably because he knows that if he entered a debate with anyone, like say, Father Z at www.wdtprs.com, he'd be shown up for what he is.

Could it be that the Abbey to which he belongs has an average age well into the 60s and doesn't attract any new vocations? The devil fears Holy things, like birettas, Catholic practices and Sacramentals, Rosaries, ancient practices, because they remind him of his fall and Christ's saving power. Do progressive Catholics fear those traditional things because they are reminded of what they've lost or never had in the first place? Father Ruff's condescending string of untrue statements do more than show fear, they show real insecurity.

Actually, St John's is afraid enough to admit they were wrong in shuffling homosexual predators around and protecting them, giving them an opportunity to strike again. They're so afraid that they're destroying records related to the accused pederasts in their community.

If anyone is afraid, it would be the modernists at St John's Abbey. They're afraid of getting out of their social-justice ghetto, worried about their depleting power and aging population. It takes a while sometimes for corrupt regimes to be overthrown by the oppressed and the "silly season" of the last 40 or so years in the desert for American Catholicism is drawing to a close.

Here's the blog in its entirety with some commentary in brackets:

[Pray, Tell]Many of the old things are back now: pre-Vatican II Mass, fiddle-back vestments, cappa magnas, birettas, Communion on the tongue, and so forth. Seminarians and young priests – in Roman collar, of course –go for traditional liturgical ceremonial. The Vatican takeover of English translations from national bishops’ conferences is nearly complete. Meanwhile, it looks like the Pope and the Holy See are planning to sit out the sex abuse crisis without admitting any fault or instituting any real reforms. [Those who really want the Church to legitimize an illicit lifestyle choice, or wish the Catholic Church weren't really Catholic like to talk about how it really hasn't done anything to curtail the abuse. Indeed, this Abbey, once the largest in the world, is responsible for more than its share of stonewalling and ignoring the real solution to the problem. But has the Vatican really ignored the problem?]

I bet your friends too are talking about this. What are they saying? In some circles, all this demonstrates a faith-filled, self-confident refortification of the Roman Church. The Church is finding its Catholic identity again, even in the face of strong secular headwinds. There is a new seriousness about liturgy after what Fr. Neuhaus liked to call “the silly season.” Slowly but surely the Church is becoming the Church again, after several decades of confusion and mistaken implementation of the Second Vatican Council. Let the media say what they will: we don’t expect to be understood or affirmed by the world as we calmly go about our divine mission. While the goal is not to drive anyone away, at least those who leave will be leaving The Real Thing. People are ready for a “smaller, purer” Church.

I know a few people who take a rather different view. A prominent liturgist recently said this about Vatican officials: “They’re a bunch of thugs, Anthony, they’re nothing but thugs, and in a world of rapid internet communication, they can’t get away with it much longer. It can’t last.” [The Unitarians would be glad to have him But why won't it last? It doesn't matter who asks Father Ruff, he won't answer because he's afraid to debate.] Another prominent liturgist recently said over coffee, “It’s the last gasp of Europe’s last functioning absolute monarchy, and its days are numbered.” [Heresy] According to these folks, the conservative element in the Church, including at central headquarters, is basically overcome by fear: fear of the modern world, fear of diversity, fear of theological inquiry, fear of dialogue with the laity, fear of sexuality, fear of what Vatican II wrought. [If anyone's afraid, it's St John's Abbey at Collegevile, the place is rapidly becoming a convalescent home with a few younger social workers who are deeply committed to social-justice but probably can't tell you the six precepts of the Church or the 10 Commandments without looking them up] Vatican officials and conservative liturgists and young clergy are fleeing what is threatening to them. [They seem to be growing while you are dying out. If you're not afraid, you should be concerned about whether or not you'll be living in the streets at some point when the Abbey goes out of business.] The liturgy is becoming a lovely place to pretend, an escape into a more comfortable past. [You clearly don't know any Traditional clergy]For these folks, the liturgical silly season is just beginning, and all the lace and frills from auntie’s attic is rather embarrassing. Such as this may last for some time – we may have many years yet to endure – but eventually it will collapse. [Any bets on how long it takes this blog to die off?]

If you want to read more about the Faithful Refortification view, check out the comments which will surely appear below in short order. If you want more on the Fearful Fleeing view, there are two intriguing articles by Eugene Cullen Kennedy in the NCRep. A few weeks ago Kennedy compared the reappearing fiddle-back vestments to the antiquated Victorian frock coats which King George required of parliamentarians in the early twentieth century. King George, like Emperor Wilhelm and Czar Nicholas, “struggled to restore monarchical structures that were being swept away by the incoming tide of modern times.” This week Kennedy compares the Vatican bureaucracy in 2010 to the French bureaucracy under Petain after Paris fell to the Germans. “Everyone would carry on as usual in this case study of a collapsing government living on the fumes of long gone glory. Still, its marshals and generals donned their uniforms and pinned on their sashes and medals to hold military reviews and to welcome the war correspondents with bands and receptions, a final costume party for men who reassured themselves by exercising the last fine grains of power in their finely gloved hands.”

This is fascinating. People look at the same phenomena, all of them deeply concerned about the Church’s faithfulness and evangelical witness, and take such different views of what is going on. Is it faithful refortification or fearful fleeing? Pray Tell takes no position on such things. We haven’t really thought about it, as you’ll surely believe. No, we’re enjoying our late summer reading various books about various other topics. [You should probably start paying attention to the effect your "seamless garment" theology is having on the future of your community, your souls and those of the people you claim to serve.]

awr

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