Catholics/most holy family monastery

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Expert: Fr. Timothy Johnson - 3/23/2008


Question
are you familiar with the most holy family monastary? they believe that all post Vatican II popes are anti-popes and that we are not obligated to go to Mass if isnt a traditional latin mass and that the Divine Mercy Devotion should be avoided plus many others. how widely accepted are they? just shows me how i need to educate myself in my faith and learn  more about the church
thank you

dan

Answer
Hi, Dan:

I can't say that I am very familiar with the Most Holy Family Monastery, though I believe I have before come across their website.  My guess is that they probably aren't a particularly large group; though I suppose one could always argue that it is not all about numbers of people...
I guess that I did not catch anything at the site about the Divine Mercy Devotion in particular.  No doubt they would reject it because of how strongly it was promoted by Pope John-Paul II; however, the devotion has been around since the 1930s, some decades prior to the Second vatican Council.
It is always a good idea to become more educated in the Catholic Faith, and learn her history and Tradition.  In my study of and dealing with the "fringe" traditionalist groups is that they are a lot like Protestants in how they misquote and distort documents of the Church to promote their own opinions.  The word for heresy comes from the Greek word for "opinion."
Happy Easter to you!

Fr. Timothy Johnson

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Fr. Timothy Johnson

Expertise

A Traditional Catholic Priest, validly and licitly ordained, incardinated legally and canonically in the Diocese of Fargo, and in good-standing with my Local Ordinary (Bishop) on active assignment at a rural Tri-Parish. I can provide honest and balanced answers to questions on topics pertaining to Traditional Roman Catholicism of the Latin Church (Councils of Trent and Vatican II)and a lot about the Eastern Catholic Churches, including the Sacred Liturgy, Sacred Scripture, Church History, the use of the Latin language, the tradition of Sacred Music, and current events in the Catholic Church from a traditional, historical and balanced perspective.

Experience

I have been ordained a Roman Catholic Priest since June 2001.

Organizations
Knights of Columbus; Church Music Association of America (CMAA)

Education/Credentials
Ordained Priest, 02 JUN 2001; Ordained Deacon, 27 JAN 2001; MA - Dogmatic/Systematic Theology; MDiv - Professional Degree from Seminary; 2-Years formation with Canons Regular of Premontre including studies and experience in Sacred Liturgy, Chant, Latin, Sacraments, Spirituality. BA - Scholastic/Thomistic Philosophy; BA - Liberal Arts; AA - General Studies.

Past/Present Clients
I serve 3-small, rural Parish Communities in Easter North Dakota
I converted to the Roman Catholic Church in 1981, at the age of 15. Over the years I have done work as an organist, cantor, and choir director for the Latin Rite (English & Latin) Mass (Liturgy of the Eucharist), and even for the Hours of the Divine Office. I have worked as a cantor for a Melkite Byzantine Catholic Church. Presently my pastoral and administrative duties as a Catholic Priest do not allow me as much time as I used to have to devote to Sacred Music; but for my weekend Masses and Solemnities within my Tri-Parish, I offer High Sung Mass in English. Weekday Mass is typically Low Mass (recited Mass) in English, though on occasion I will offer the "Tridentine Mass" in Latin, which I usually offer on my "Day Off", as well. And now, in light of the "Motu Proprio" by his Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI placing the extraordinary usage of the Roman Rite back into the mainstream of the Catholic Church, I have been offering a regularly scheduled SUN, 2:00 PM Tridentine Latin Mass with a community of the faithful that has a stable existence.

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