22. aug. 2021
”When the culture surrounding a particular rite becomes so toxic that it threatens not only Church unity but our ability to live out the gospel’s call to love, something must change. Sadly, in the case of the Tridentine Mass, it must be restricted and allowed to fade away.”"
- Rachel Dobbs
’Where Peter Is’: Sadly, Traditionis Custodes was necessary
by Rachel Dobbs / 17. aug 2021
Udklip:
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By the time I became a Catholic on April 4, 1999, I was already immersed in the Tridentine Mass. Also known as the Traditional Latin Mass, the Mass of St. Pius V, or the Extraordinary Form, I loved the prayers of this Mass, the silence and—on special feasts like Christmas and Easter—the Gregorian chant. After Mass on Sundays, I went downstairs and drank watered-down coffee and Dunkin’ Donuts as we discussed events in the world and in the Church. And there was a lot of complaining. I took part in many conversations that were nothing but complaints. There wasn’t a Sunday that went by that we didn’t discuss how awful the regular “Novus Ordo” Mass was or what this or that liberal bishop was doing.
There was always a constant state of unease. We were the Faithful Remnant, the true Catholics preserving tradition. I saw myself that way. I remembered how I looked down on all those “other” Catholics. At the time, I nearly exclusively went to the Tridentine Mass except for holy days of obligation and the Easter Triduum. Even there, I made it a point to bring my Tridentine missal and pray the prayers from there since at the time I felt it was the more authentic version.
I believed that the Tridentine aesthetics were more Catholic and more authentic. It fed into my love for Medieval history and literature. Week after week I attended Mass and beat my breast, declaring my utter unworthiness. I was sure that the future of the Church laid in returning to the Tridentine Mass and tradition.
Yet, I was uneasy about some aspects of the surrounding Traditionalist culture. On most traditionalist websites, they hawked older books, mostly from the late 19th to mid-20th centuries. These books carried more than just traditional understandings of Catholic teaching and belief. They contained racist theories, antisemitism, and sexist views. Traditionalist discussions online often involved praise of dictators like Franco and the espousal of Judeo-masonic conspiracy theories. Traditionalist blogs would often post articles decrying the “godless leftist elites,” offensive anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, and antisemitic dog whistles.
I recognized and rejected those conspiracies and thought I could still be steeped in traditionalist culture. But the culture only got worse. Many of the traditionalist blogs and authors I’d read began rejecting the legitimacy of Pope John Paul II and became sedevacantist. I started wondering—where’s the love? By 2006, I stopped reading reactionary and conspiratorial publications like The Wanderer and The Remnant. However, I continued to read certain websites, including Rorate Caeli and Father Z’s blog. Later, I met my husband, a fellow traditionalist and a former SSPX seminarian.
The Tridentine Mass became an essential part of our relationship and our identities as a couple.
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‘Rachel Dobbs is a Catholic convert and a happily married woman with two black cats living in Jacksonville, Florida. She works as a Sr. Library services associate at the University of North Florida where she received her Bachelor's and Master's in history. In addition, she's a novice Benedictine oblate.’
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Retur til Tema: ‘Traditionis Custodes’