Vatican Lists Core Teachings for Traditionalists reads the headline. The Vatican is, in this instance, involved in tactical skirmishes while losing the strategic battle.
While I am fairly sure that the press release from the Vatican did not describe the Society of St. Pius X as traditionalist by not addressing the claims of that group (and others like them) that they are traditionalist the Vatican has ceded to them the best ground on the battlefield.
When I was growing up (Catholic) \”obeying the stricture, rules, and admonitions\” of the Vatican and its appointed officials would have been described as being a traditionalist and \”openly defying Church authorities\” would have been described not only as schismatic but revolutionary.
The various hosts that I listen to on American Catholic radio make it a practice never to simply say \”same-sex\” marriage. They always refer to it as \”so-called same-sex marriage.\” The strategists at the Vatican should be sending out a note to those same Catholic pundits to always refer to the Society of St. Pius X as \”so-called\” traditionalists.[1]
As we have learned over the last few years — those who frame the terms of the debate almost always go on to win it.
[1] Friendly advise from a no-longer Catholic.
Bookish Comments 