The Great Dilemma (Part II): Finding shelter in Traditionalism
Turning to Traditional Catholicism is not an act of rebellion for me either, but one of preservation and a desire to worship God as He intended, and not according to man’s perversions.
As I pointed out in Part I, the question haunting so many of us is simple yet devastating: Is this still Catholicism?
One of the comments I received after publishing the first part of The Great Dilemma, perfectly captures it. A subscriber, who identifies with the handle “Kathy8”, wrote:
“For well over ten years I have wondered the same things. I have asked many of my devout Catholic friends, “What do we do when the church leaves us?” The first time I asked was about 12 years ago. And my friends would not answer. Most of them have taken the position that it’s not their problem if they’re obeying the bishops and the bishops make a bad decision. They (laymen) are “covered”.
For the first time in my life, I have considered Orthodoxy. I am confused by the Catholic Church. It feels impossible to know the right thing to do/believe. Everything feels tricky. If I follow my convictions and move toward SSPX or Orthodoxy am I an apostate? Will I go to hell for leaving the (official) Catholic Church? What to do if/when the Vatican supports gay marriage or changes the NO Mass even more? If I follow priests who criticize the Vatican am I sinning? Am I only really searching for a church made in my image- one that caters to my preferences? What about obedience without question?
Too much to write on this note, but the situation with the Vatican and apparently weak bishops is sad for me”.
So many of us perfectly relate to “Kathy8”. And to “Andrew Q” who commented “I'll happily assist at the TLM with any of these traditional Catholic groups [SSPX, etc.]. Each has its positives and negatives, but all have the Mass of Ages. I honestly cannot reconcile the Novus Ordo (and what has come since) with historic Catholicism. It's a new religion that's younger than I am. It is led by bad people with nefarious intent”.
At the heart of these issues is a profound dissonance between modern expressions of Catholicism and the Church's perennial teaching. It is not just a question of style or emphasis but of substance. The faithful rightly ask, “Where is the Church that Christ promised to preserve? Has it been eclipsed?”
When confronted with a Church hierarchy that seems to drift ever further from the eternal truths of the faith, the temptation to seek refuge elsewhere grows stronger. If fidelity to the Church’s teaching and tradition appears more vibrant in traditional Catholic communities, can turning to them be justified? This is the heart of “The Great Dilemma.”
The crisis of confidence in the hierarchy
For many Catholics, the Vatican II reforms have birthed a modern Catholicism that feels foreign—one defined not by immutable truth but by compromise and adaptation to the modern world. This adaptation has left many faithful questioning whether the Church they see today is the same Church established by Christ. The list of concerns grows ever longer:
A pope who appears to contradict core doctrines.
The elevation of secular causes like climate change and synodality over the mission of salvation.
The suppression of the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM), even though its unbroken legacy spans centuries and has nourished countless saints.
Priests and bishops actively promoting ideologies incompatible with Catholic teaching, including relativism and gender ideology.
The turn toward tradition
Faced with this storm, many Catholics have sought and are seeking shelter in Traditional Catholicism. Traditional communities—whether they belong to the SSPX, the FSSP, or even independent chapels—offer a connection to the liturgy, doctrine, and practices that sustained the Church for two millennia. These communities are not merely nostalgic; they embody the faith that formed the martyrs, the doctors of the Church, and countless saints. This is an important point to note. I am an adult convert to Catholicism and way too young to feel “nostalgic”, especially since I was born after the Second Vatican Council. By the time I entered the Church, it was already a fully-fledged Modernist circus in most places.
Turning to Traditional Catholicism is not an act of rebellion for me either, but one of preservation and a desire to worship God as He intended, and not according to man’s perversions. It is a refusal to abandon the faith as it has always been taught. It is a rejection of the Modernist drift that threatens to dilute Catholicism into just another social club, indistinguishable from the secular world.
Historical precedent and justification
Scripture and Tradition as safeguards:
The Church teaches that Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium are inseparable. However, when the Magisterium appears to act against Scripture and Tradition, faithful Catholics must hold fast to the unchanging deposit of faith. St. Paul admonished the Galatians:
“Even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8).
This implies that loyalty to the faith transcends loyalty to individuals within the hierarchy when they deviate from the truth.
The Arian Crisis and St. Athanasius
In the 4th century, the Arian heresy denied the divinity of Christ, and a majority of bishops—including the pope—compromised with heretical teachings. St. Athanasius, exiled multiple times for defending orthodoxy, famously said:
“They have the buildings, but we have the faith.”
His resistance ensured that the Nicene Creed—defining Christ’s divinity—was preserved for all time. This historical example shows that temporary deviation within the hierarchy does not destroy the Church’s indefectibility.
St. Catherine of Siena calling out corruption
During the 14th century, St. Catherine of Siena chastised Church leaders for their moral and spiritual failures, urging Pope Gregory XI to return the papacy from Avignon to Rome. She boldly wrote:
“You cannot be timid, fearful, or self-indulgent. Cry out with a hundred thousand tongues: I see that the world is destroyed through silence!”
Her example demonstrates that faithful Catholics can and must resist when leaders stray from their mission.
Pope St. Pius V and Quo Primum
In his 1570 bull Quo Primum, Pope St. Pius V codified the Traditional Latin Mass, stating:
“This present decree and order is to last in perpetuity and can never be legally revoked or amended at any time.”
This decree affirms the timeless nature of the TLM and its centrality to Catholic worship. Even Pope Benedict XVI confirmed in Summorum Pontificum (2007) that the TLM had never been abrogated. Modern attempts to suppress it contradict this legacy.
When modern authorities suppress this liturgy (or any other aspect of tradition or dogma), faithful Catholics are justified in seeking its preservation.
The Avignon Papacy and the Western Schism
During the Avignon Papacy (1309–1377) and the Western Schism (1378–1417), rival claimants to the papacy caused widespread confusion. Saints like Vincent Ferrer and Catherine of Siena navigated this chaos by clinging to the faith, not the political struggles of the hierarchy. This era reminds us that individual pontiffs or leaders can falter, but the faith itself remains intact.
The role of the SSPX and other Traditional groups
Many Catholics view groups like the SSPX with suspicion, seeing them as rebellious or schismatic. However, history suggests otherwise. The SSPX maintains a robust defense of Catholic tradition, ensuring that the faith is preserved amid widespread confusion.
Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, founder of the SSPX, justified his resistance by citing fidelity to eternal truths:
“It is not we who are in schism but the modernists.”
The SSPX sees its mission as a temporary safeguard, ensuring that the treasures of the faith—especially the TLM and traditional catechesis—are not lost. Its actions mirror those of faithful Catholics during other crises, who upheld the faith against internal corruption while remaining loyal to Christ and His Church.
The salvation of souls as the first and ultimate priority of the Catholic Church
St. Thomas Aquinas taught that the supreme law of the Church is the salvation of souls (Summa Theologica, II-II, Q. 33, Art. 4). When modern parishes distort doctrine, neglect catechesis, or celebrate irreverent liturgies, they jeopardize the souls entrusted to their care. Catholics have a moral duty to seek environments where the faith is taught and lived authentically. For this reason, I attend both a Novus Ordo parish and an SSPX Priory.
Cardinal Raymond Burke has echoed this sentiment, stating:
“If a bishop or priest departs from Catholic teaching, faithful Catholics must remain steadfast, clinging to the Church’s perennial truth.”
Finding shelter without apostasy
It is vital to clarify that seeking refuge in Traditional Catholic communities is not equivalent to abandoning the Church. On the contrary, it is an effort to remain faithful to the Church of Christ in the face of internal corruption. This fidelity requires discernment:
Avoid Sedevacantism. For now, I am very weary of adopting or promoting the “Sedevacantism” stance and feel that certain groups might err in rejecting the legitimacy of the pope. (I have to admit though that there are excellent arguments for this position!). The Church’s indefectibility ensures that the papacy will endure, even when individual pontiffs falter. Therefore, should you attend one of these groups due to their fidelity to true Catholicism, be very prudent about adopting this position… for now.
Stay rooted in charity. Criticism of the hierarchy must never devolve into hatred or bitterness. St. Augustine reminds us:
“With love for mankind and hatred for sins.”
Engage with the broader church. Traditional Catholics must avoid insularity. The goal is not to create a parallel Church but to restore the broader Church to her authentic self.
The Promise of Christ
Despite the current crisis, Christ’s promise endures: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). The Church may be battered, but it will never be destroyed. The restoration will come, but it may require a remnant—faithful, prayerful, and unyielding—to weather the storm and preserve the treasure of tradition. I am convinced that the remnant consists of those who practice Catholicism in a traditional and orthodox way as opposed to the Modernist way.
To those then asking, “Should we stay, or should we go?” the answer is both.
Stay within the Church, clinging to the faith of our fathers.
Go to places where that faith is preserved, whether it be a traditional parish or an independent chapel. Seek the shelter of Tradition, not as an escape, but as a bulwark. In doing so, we remain Catholic—not merely in name, but in truth.
Let us pray and labor for the day when the storm clears and the Church shines again in her full glory.
Ave Christus Rex!
Recognise and Resist!
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Excellent article by a local (to me) Benedictine monk.
https://oriensjournal.com/when-the-path-forward-leads-back/
I must confess that I've previously adopted the mindset of "if I follow the Church's teachings, it's not my concern if the leaders stray." However, recently I've begun to take a more proactive approach by expressing my concerns through the appropriate channels and voting with my feet, so to speak.