Expert: Fr. Michael - 4/3/2006

Question
Father,

In your profile, your expertise is in Traditional Roman Catholicism and say you are a Traditional Catholic priest.  I'd like to understand a little more what that means.  Are you a memeber of the traditionalist Society of St. Pious X?

When you talk of the New Order religion that calls itself "Catholic", are you referring to John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, John Paul II and now Benedict XVI?

Answer
No, not a member of the SSPX.  Many are unaware that there is a Traditional Roman Catholic Movement that is much larger than the Society of St. Pius X, which is only about 25% of it.  However, the SSPX is the biggest single organization, so it gets the publicity.  Other traditional organizations include the Society of St. Pius V, the Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen, the Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.  In addition, there are many traditional Catholic priests who offer the Traditional Latin Mass and Sacraments to the faithful outside of any particular organization.

Included in the New Order religion is anything that is not part of the Roman Catholic Faith, as it was handed to us from the Apostles, in Scripture, and through dogmatic councils and popes teaching within that Faith.

Although already condemned in the 19th and 20th centuries by Pope Pius IX, Pope St. Pius X, Pope Pius XII, Pope John XXIII, and others, it seems that it was at Vatican Council II that the teachings of what is known as the heresy of Modernism started making their way into parts of the institution.  The consequences were such things as the "New Mass" (whose principles were already condemned dogmatically by the Council of Trent), the "New Sacraments", new doctrinal teachings, and new moral teachings, which have flowered into the Great Sex & Embezzlement Scandal, involving numerous bishops and presbyters.

Unlike Luther, who at least proclaimed his teachings clearly and was willing to debate them publicly, the Modernists generally try to give their new teachings a kind of Catholic facade, but it is clear that there are significant differences between what passes for "Catholic" in the minds of many now, as opposed to the preceding two millennia.