It’s not uncommon to hear someone say “I’m not a liberal or conservative Catholic, I’m simply Catholic”.

Fair enough, but what does THAT mean?

That answer, though understandable, is as useful as when a “bible Christian” refuses to answer “which denomination?” and says, “Oh, I’m just Christian.”

Again, fair enough, but what does THAT mean?

My point here is that these definitions are pretty fluide (yes, the French spelling).

For purposes of this page I consider “Christian” anyone who believes that Jesus Christ is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, a Divine Person with a human and divine nature. Though uncreated and outside of Time the Word became flesh and dwelt among us entering human history and our spacetime. AND who has received baptism validly (form, matter, intention).

If you believe Our Lord Jesus was just a wise guy, a mortal prophet, a social worker, or “a god”, not THE GOD. Then you aren’t “Christian”. Be honest, choose another self-description.

A Catholic is one who holds and believes the 255 dogmas of the Catholic Faith explained and held in 20 Doctrinal Councils without error or mutability.

This definition excludes most who self-identify as Catholic who commonly hold that the world means membership and alignment with a visible institution on earth by that name, but who not do not hold the actual Faith considered normative from 33AD to 1960AD.

If your great grandmother wouldn’t recognize either your worship or teaching as Catholic then it isn’t. Period.

Anthropologically, 21st Century Catholicism comes in three major “tribes” and a few subsets.

Liberal

Liberals come in a few varieties, there’s the woke types who use Our Lord as the trapping for their Postmodern Marxist agenda. There’s the New Age types which get carried away with Jung or Teilhard. There’s the pragmatists who see value in the institution but think it needs to listen more to the world. Oh synodality [eyeroll].

Conservatives

These are the ones that try to reconcile the Old Faith with the new institution and congruence and often hilarity ensures. When “Lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivandi” meets a conservative it’s like a square circle or division by zero. Some conservatives appreciate the Old Mass but reject the Old Faith that goes with it. A conservative sees no problem with an adult funeral being celebrated in white or communion in the hand. It is the least sustainable of the three main positions.

Traditionals

This group understands the Old Mass is intrinsically related to the Old Faith. There are three major groups. Trad regular, Trad irregular, Sedevacantist.

Trad regulars are communities permitted by the Vatican/local mainstream diocese to offer the Old Mass. They are further divided into the portion that is devoted to the Old Mass but believe obedience to the institution is more important than access to the Old Mass. And those who will become Trad irregular if the Old Mass is cancelled.

Trad irregulars come in three groups: Those who claim ordinary jurisdiction, those who operate with supplied jurisdiction (they believe God provides their authority direct because there is no other means to receive it) and those who are vagus (without a bishop).

Sedevacantist is a term that technically means that we are without a valid pope, but in current practice the term primarily refers to one of the main post 1960 groups that often hold that they are the only authentic iterations of Catholicism.

I belong to a Tradition (See of Caer-Glow) that asserts its existence is due to an ancient papal grant (Eugene III, Leo X, and Fourth Lateran Council). This claim is in dispute. There is no effective means to resolve this dispute without a Catholic pope who holds the Old Faith and Old Mass as normative in the West. So we await that day, which hopefully will come within my natural lifetime. Rome has acknowledged the validity of our apostolic line (via document with protocol number) but has not settled our juridic relationship with them.

Personally, I consider anyone or organization who wants the Old Mass and Old Faith restored as normative in the West as friend. Regardless of whether that friendship is reciprocated. We have friends across the mainstream and other Trad groups, but do not “out” our friends where their organizations or dioceses are less than friendly.

If you seek to serve Our Lord Jesus and love the Old Mass, you’re a friend of mine.

If you’re a non-Catholic or even a non-believer who seeks the Real, True and Good and values the contribution of formal Christianity to the history and future of the West, then you’re a friend of mine. I can be a source of information and a help to you.

Regardless of your belief in deity, if you follow a modernist, postmodern, relativistic, or “progressive” telos (secularly or ecclesially) then you are likely my enemy. I love you (desire your salvation) but am not walking on your path. I have no interest in “dialogue” because we do not have a common frame of reality itself. Your kind is a threat to my kind and you are beyond my ability to reach 95% of you.

At this point, at least one reader will say, “Well I’m not any of those groups- I’m just Catholic.” OK. I repeat, if your great grandmother wouldn’t recognize either your worship, your beliefs or moral praxis as Catholic, then it isn’t. Period.

Render the Cranmer table unto Cranmer, and Catholic worship unto God.

Seek to attain and hold the state of Grace with God’s good help.

Pray for the Grace of Final Perseverance and the restoration of Christendom.

Lord Jesus, I love You. I give You this day; help me to see the world and myself as You see.