The Pope is at it again. Once again he insults us for our faithfulness to Catholic truth and tradition. The youth love the Traditional Latin Mass because they are tired of the worthless, Protestant drivel that is spoon fed to the masses at the Novus Ordo.
"I always try to understand what is behind those individuals who are too young to have lived the pre-Conciliar liturgy, and who want it nonetheless. I have at times found myself in front of people who are too rigid, an attitude of rigidity. And I ask myself: how come so much rigidity? You dig, you dig, this rigidity always hides something: insecurity, at times perhaps something else…"
Rigidity in the Faith is a sure sign of Catholicism. Christ said that he would spit the lukewarm out of his mouth.
"Pope Benedict accomplished a just and magnanimous gesture [translator’s note: the motu proprio ‘Summorum Pontificum’] to reach out to a certain mindset of some groups and persons who felt nostalgia and were distancing themselves. But it is an exception. That is why one speaks of an ‘extraordinary’ rite. The ordinary in the Church is not this. It is necessary to approach with magnanimity those attached to a certain form of prayer. But the ordinary is not this. Vatican II and Sacrosanctum Concilium must go on as they are. To speak of a ‘reform of the reform’ is an error."
THE Mass is not an extraordinary occurrence. It's the reason for the world's existence. It's the re-presentation of the greatest act of history, Christ's death on the cross to redeem us. I despise this scornful attitude towards Catholics. What they do to us they do to the Catholics and Saints of the past 2,000 years, before the Church was corrupted by those trying to change Her for their wicked designs.
We want Truth. Goodness. Beauty. Faithfulness. Authenticity.
We're working out our salvation in fear and trembling.
Now that's rigid.
~Damsel of the Faith
As I read these unfortunate words from the Holy Father, I cannot help but think about the experiences I have had as a young person with this mass. Now, I have not attended a New mass in fulfilling the Sundayobligation since 1997, but having a large extended family, I have oftentimes passively attended weddings or funerals for which the New mass is offered.
Just this past week, I passively attended a New mass for the funeral of a relative. Despite the conservative surroundings that can often be present(the young priest, for one, preached an almost unusually conservative sermon compared to many we hear today), the entire atmosphere was strikingly unfulfilling. The wake was quite dreadful, being essentially a "meet and greet" for almost everyone involved. The whole church echoed with excitement as a football stadium would, and several people came to me to exchange jubilant greetings and even start a conversation. Absolutely no one was on their knees with the body of the deceased lying a few feet away. As for the service itself, the priest was again fine and even almost conservative, but everything else was severely lacking in holiness. The "hymns" were a catastrophe, with the equivalent of a young "country star" singing "Bible" music off-tune. Every single person received what is putatively Our Lord in the hand and many particularly enjoyed the "Sign of Peace" and raising their arms up during the prayers.
I have been to New masses both more conservative and more "open" than this, but the reaction from myself and my siblings is largely the same. This mass does not lift up our minds and hearts as the Mass should, but leaves us strangely bored and unfulfilled. Even if Our Lord may be present in correctly said New masses, the entire service is simply bland and protestantized. There is no life to it. It is easy to see how young people can so often leave or reject something so bland, ambiguous, lifeless. Young people, and really all people want truth, beauty, life! And this is the norm for Pope Francis.
Nonetheless, we must pray for the Pope. It is curious to hear him utter such words about the Traditional Mass, and then oftentimes show seemingly honest goodwill towards many affiliated with the fight for Tradition(Fr. Gruner, conservative and traditional journalists and writers, the Society of St. Pius X, etc.). Does this Pope have a special "sympathetic" side when it comes to reaching out to those in the "peripheries", even to the point where it contradicts his own principles? God may only know. The Modernist mind is a very confused one indeed. Hopefully the recent appeals from the more orthodox bishops and cardinals will help the Pope see the errors of his statements, although he has not responded as of yet. Pray much for the Holy Father!
~Steven C., "Knight of Tradition"
