Rigidity: Faithfulness or Heterodoxy?

by Pedro Gabriel

“Why is Pope Francis always criticizing faithful Catholics?” is an oft-repeated question whenever the Holy Father makes one of his usual invectives against religious rigidity. Francis has indeed made such denunciations a hallmark of his pontificate. But what does he mean by “rigidity”? Is he truly attacking faithful Catholics? Is he promoting moral and religious laxity?

In this book, Pedro Gabriel aims at clarifying Pope Francis’ teachings on rigidity, by relating them with certain keywords emerging repeatedly in his interventions. He also seeks to falsify the idea that a Catholic is faithful by being rigid, by comprehensively exploring precedents in Church history where the rigid course of action did not always prevent the faithful from falling into heterodoxy. Finally, Gabriel explains how eschewing rigidity does not necessarily entail the opposite extreme of laxism.

Paperback: $24.95 | Kindle: $9.99

TESTIMONIALS

“Pedro Gabriel gives us a wonderful book on an ‘outgoing Church,’ a plea for the education of a Christian personality that is flexible but with a strong backbone. He discovers in the faith not an obstacle to the fullness of human life but a path—not only to eternal life but also to a life one hundred times more human here on earth.” – From the “Foreword,” by Rocco Buttiglione, Member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences and of the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas

“Pedro Gabriel has written a truly brilliant book, not only for its readable style but above all for its pertinent content. Rigidity: Faithfulness or Heterodoxy? is not a mere exercise in Catholic apologetics, but a true educational path for those of us who need to rediscover the reasons for living to the full ‘the glorious freedom of the Children of God’ (Rom 8:21). Pedro Gabriel’s new book undoubtedly helps us to detoxify the Christian life from the frequent laxist and rigorist temptations that are so popular and so misleading in today’s world. Nothing could be more opportune to live the faith with maturity and balance following the teachings of the Gospel in communion with the Successor of Peter.” – Rodrigo Guerra, Secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America and Professor at the Pontifical Lateran University.

“Dr. Pedro Gabriel, acclaimed for his award-winning books The Orthodoxy of Amoris Laetitia and Heresy Disguised as Tradition, is a foremost expert on the style and teaching of Pope Francis. In his latest work, Rigidity: Faithfulness or Heterodoxy, he builds on his previous research by expanding upon what the Pope views as a fundamental and ironic misconception of the meaning of Tradition among self-proclaimed traditionalists. He does this by providing an analysis of the attitudes that flow from it, best understood as rigidity and indietrism (backwardness). Dr. Gabriel, in his winsome way, challenges readers to reassess whether they have truly grasped the meaning of St. Paul’s exhortation to ‘stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught’ (2 Thess. 2:15 RSVCE), and he urges them to fairly reflect on Pope Francis’ concerns without resorting to defensiveness or kneejerk reactions. Drawing on the Church’s self-understanding of fidelity to Tradition, perhaps best expressed in Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 100 and Dei Verbum paragraph 8, Dr. Gabriel offers a more secure, comprehensive, and practical approach to navigating the apparent tensions between the Magisterium and Divine Revelation than undoubtedly most traditionalists are familiar with. Through a meticulous examination of historical heresies, the virtue ethics tradition of Aristotle and Aquinas, and the teachings of popes, both pre- and post-conciliar, Dr. Gabriel skillfully navigates the complexities of rigidity, rigorism, and the scrupulosity that results, to lead readers to a greater freedom in Christ, for ‘the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.’ (2 Cor. 3:17).” — Andrew Likoudis, Editor, The Divine Primacy of the Bishop of Rome and Modern Eastern Orthodoxy, Associate Member, Fellowship of Catholic Scholars

“Many conservative and traditional Catholics take offense at Pope Francis’s warnings about rigidity.  They believe he is associating faithfulness with rigidity. Pedro Gabriel shows that this is a complete misunderstanding of the Holy Father’s concerns. Pope Francis is actually upholding the authentic Catholic tradition, which seeks the golden mean between laxism and rigidity. In this much-needed work, Gabriel provides an historical survey of various groups in Catholic history that have criticized the immoral and lax Church while claiming to be the true, pure, and authentic followers of the Gospel.  Throughout her history, the Catholic Church has resisted various rigorist groups such as the Judaizers, the Novatianists, the Donatists, the Spiritualists, and the Jansenists.  Gabriel does not claim that the rigid Catholics of today can be identified precisely with any of these heretical movements. He does, however, note certain similarities, especially in the common tendency to believe that the institutional Church is corrupt or misguided and one’s own movement represents the true faith. Gabriel not only explores the history of rigorist movements; he also provides an authentic understanding of what Pope Francis means by present forms of Pelagianism and Gnosticism.  In my opinion, Pedro Gabriel understands Pope Francis far better than the papal critics.  He shows the Holy Father to be a faithful son of the Church, steeped in the Catholic tradition of Augustine, Aquinas, and Liguori—a tradition marked by balance, mercy, and discernment.” – Robert Fastiggi, Ph.D. Professor of Dogmatic Theology, Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit, Michigan

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Vatican II, Defense of the Novus Ordo Missae, Five Smooth Stones (1 Sam. 17:40) – On Modern Trends and How to Deal with Them: The Selected Works of Frits Albers, Vol. 2

by Frits Albers, edited with a Foreword by Frank Calneggia

REVIEW BY DR. DONALD G. BOLAND

This is the second volume of the collected works of Frits Albers. The first volume has been published only recently. The works concerned first appeared as articles dating from as early as the 1970s but with later editions appearing as late as AD 2000.

I have provided a testimonial to the first volume and what I said in it applies to the present works. There are three books that are included in this second volume. Put shortly, the first two are defences of Vatican II and the Novus Order of the Mass, and the third is a guide to how to deal with the threats to the Faith by the controversies surrounding what the changes are, let alone how they are to be interpreted.

As may be expected, Frits Albers has embarked upon quite a task, for as he himself notes in quoting St. Paul, such are the profundity and eternal consequences of the issues involved, we are up against “Principalities and Powers”. However, as I see his effort as a man of strong faith, he is well up to the task. One indication of the pointed truth of what he says may be gathered from the fact that his books have been neglected to be widely published for nigh on 50 years since they appeared at the very time when the theological errors and their related sinful practices were begun to be promoted with an enthusiasm that would be gratifying to their evil originators.

Indeed, such has been the forcefulness of this promotion, reaching even to the highest levels of the religious and hierarchical life of the Church, that their malign influence is today deeper and wider than ever.

The publication of Albers’ works could not be more urgent. His assessment and refutation of the modernist error (presented most insidiously in Teilhard de Chardin’s writings) that underlies the whole push to change the doctrinal basis of Catholic life and practice is so thorough and telling, that it is hard to see how any person of honest disposition, prepared to give him a fair hearing, would not be won over by his clear exposition of the positions of the parties to the controversy and even clearer determination of the issues. There is much in this volume to be digested and we have space to make only one point, hopefully to give the reader some idea of the value of his work.

With regard particularly to the first two books included we need to note a problem of language which is to do with the inability of the modern mind to make distinctions, so that even in ecclesiastical Latin phrases there is a hidden prejudice to taking the word in a sense that favours the modernist position. As is clear from what we observe about his work, Frits Albers is one who has been able to make the distinctions needed to avoid the modernist mind-set that sadly even afflicts “not a few” modern Catholic theologians. (cf. Fides et ratio n. 61)

The problem of language use, or rather misuse, can apply even to words used by popes, such as Pope John XXIII’s use of the Italian aggornimento. Words such as “renew” and “reform” are used constantly in the modern era to close down opposition to the hidden intent or real meaning of “deform” or “destroy”. Even the word “deconstruction” is used openly to imply some sort of constructive change instead of simple destruction.

So too the Latin Novus Ordo is subtly taken to mean the rejection of the old rite. Then, the Magisterium has to go to great lengths to explain the distinction between what in the liturgy is capable of change and what is not. So, as regards the latter, there is no new rite replacing the old. The Novus Ordo has to be the same in essence, or in substance, as the old, or it is not Catholic. Of course, those who are opposed to the “new rite” are keen to find differences of substance.

The Novus Ordo is the same in essence as the one it has replaced and the Mass is the same as it was from the beginning. This problem of preference for taking any change as an essential (or substantial) change is applied throughout. It is applied to the fabricated distinction between Vatican II and “Pre-Vatican II”. Confusion reigns all round, including among “well educated” Catholics at University level.

The Magisterium is occupied constantly in explaining that there is no discontinuity between the teachings of Vatican II and previous doctrinal positions in the long history of Catholic Tradition. One wonders however, with the barrage of loud voices to the contrary, how much effect these magisterial “interventions” have.

A poor education in the use of language and logic (which are intimately connected) hampers the one side of the argument and favours the other (no prizes for guessing which is which).

Without making any criticism of Frits Albers himself, for his intent is clear where he does so, he uses the word “community” in a way that could be problematic. There is nothing wrong with the ordinary meaning of the word itself. Indeed, transferred to the order of grace and the divine it can be used of the Trinity. But, precisely because of its soundness and sacred application, it is used or rather misused in the most profound way in modern political and religious life.

As to the former, it is as if we confused it with Communism, whereby the very notion of civil community is destroyed and citizens brutalized. This misuse has become insinuated even into Catholic thinking (and practice) in most recent times. (The word “synod” can be misused in the same way)

A more appropriate word in the place concerned would in my view be “collective”, for Albers is referring to a grouping where there is no true unity but a kind of herd-like gathering that tries to bully individual Catholics who are deprived of the leadership they deserve. (This is not a condition peculiar to Catholic congregations but is a general condition of modern political life)

It is quite remarkable that Albers picked up this abusive application of the word so early. The malign connotation exploited by them, some clergy were referring to the “parish community” when a good portion of the congregation were losing their faith in central doctrines, especially with regard to sexual morality, and so did not really have unity with those that had kept them. It became almost impossible to use the word in its right sense.

We put this comment then only to show how difficult it is in modernist (which equates with “fashionable” – those people Chesterton called “Thursdayites”) controlled conversations to have any intelligent/ intelligible dialogue at all.

In connection with this we might note that the very word “Thomist” was coming to be given a fabricated connotation that suited the modernist climate of thought, and used as opposed in some way to a less “rigid” Catholic Franciscan sentiment. This is very subtle in that it is designed to undermine the unity of mind and spirit that existed (and still exists in Heaven) in relation to the two great saints, when it might apply to some of their not so holy or learned followers. Read the two wonderful books of Chesterton on the saints to get the balanced view of their holy relationship.

Despite the linguistic difficulty, which all the faithful have to contend with, this collection of books of Frits Albers is powerful in all respects and one can only pray that it reaches the audience that needs it, which is all of us today.

— Dr. Donald G. Boland, author of Rev. Fr. Austin M. Woodbury, SM, PhD, STD and the Aquinas Academy (1945 – 1975); also see his Compendium

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Contemporary Sacred Art: Conversations on Art & Faith

by Dr. Michela Beatrice Ferri

INTERVIEWS

WCAT Radio “Two Wings Seminar” Presentation
Listen to “Dr. Michela Beatrice Ferri – What is the meaning of the expression ‘Contemporary Sacred Art’ ?” on Spreaker.

Telepace Trento
http://www.telepacetrento.it/archivio-video/spart/861 

TESTIMONIALS

TBA

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michela Beatrice Ferri, Ph.D. in Philosophy, born in Italy, is a Roman Catholic professor and writer and teaches for Holy Apostles College & Seminary in Cromwell, CT, USA.

Michela’s BA thesis in Philosophy, discussed in 2005 at the Università degli Studi di Milano, is dedicated to Edmund Burke and to the birth of the Modern Sublime (“Burke e la genesi moderna del sublime”). Her MA thesis in Philosophy, discussed in 2007 at the Università degli Studi di Milano, is dedicated to the concepts of “time” and of “art” in the first reception of Phenomenology in Italy (“Tempo e arte nella fenomenologia italiana”).

In February 2012, Michela received her Doctorate in philosophy (Ph.D.) at the Università degli Studi di Milano, with a dissertation dedicated to the reception of Phenomenology in the United States of America. Her Ph.D. dissertation is the first work ever appeared in Italy, in Europe, and in North America focused on the history and on the analysis of the reception of Husserlian Phenomenology in the North America. She is the Editor of the great volume: “The Reception of Phenomenology in North America” – https://rd.springer.com/book/10.1007%2F978-3-319-99185-6#toc – published in June 2019 by Springer Nature – Springer International Publishing.

Michela is recognized as one of the leading experts in the field of Sacred Art and is the author of a volume dedicated to the dialogue between Catholic Faith and Art, devoted to an inquiry about Contemporary Sacred Art entitled Sacro Contemporaneo. Dialoghi sull’arte, published in 2016 by the Roman Catholic publishing house Áncora Editrice based in Milan, Italy. In this book, she presents dialogues that she has had with the major Roman Catholic art historians and with the most important Contemporary Artists operating in Italy. This book is published in English by En Route Books and Media.

Michela is also journalist. She works for several Roman Catholic journals, writing about Philosophy, Theology, History, Aesthetics, Sacred Art, History of Art and History of Architecture, Church, and Jewish Studies.

Since 2009, Michela has been married to Luca Stucchi, Catholic, Engineer and MS in Computer Science.

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It’s Everybody’s World: We either Live Together or Die Together

by Robin Arthur

TESTIMONIALS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robin Arthur is a newspaper editor and a journalist who won the Pan-Asia Journalism award in 1995. This book is a sequel to Global Healing, which he released in June 2019. He has written several other books including Can the Poor Inherit the Earth, which is an opinion on Third World development paradigms and which won acclaim from UN organizations including UNESCO and UNDP. His first novel, The Island of Habarra, provides a glimpse into the sad narrative of expatriate workers who leave families and home behind to work in the oil-rich Persian Gulf. In Canada, Arthur worked to develop an appreciation of interfaith dialogue, and between 2011 and 2016 convened three very successfully staged Spiritual Diversity Conferences, paving the way for the establishment of an Interfaith Council in the city of Halifax.

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Elements of Christianity: The Beauty of the Christian Faith

by Tonino Vicari

This book attempts to make accessible to the average reader the basic elements of Church teaching concerning morality, natural law, and supernatural truths that have been passed down through the Holy Scriptures and Tradition from the time of the Apostles from Jesus Christ himself. 

Hardback: $39.95 | Paperback: $19.95 | Kindle: $9.99

TESTIMONIALS

“With his training in architecture and theology, Tonino Vicari demonstrates the beauty, wisdom, and logic of the Catholic faith in this compelling volume. Drawing upon Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and outstanding works of art, Elements of Christianity makes an ideal textbook for   higher level catechetical classes and adult education. In 1802 François-René de Chateaubriand published his Genius of Christianity as a response to the anti-clericalism of the French Enlightenment. In a similar way, Tonino Vicari has published a book on the beauty of the Catholic faith that responds to the secular culture of today.” – Robert Fastiggi, Ph.D. Professor of Dogmatic Theology, Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit, Michigan

“Tonino Vicari has produced a handy compendium of our Catholic faith tradition, which will be of great help to students entering into their studies and a resource for those who teach them.” – Dr. Sebastian Mahfood, OP, author of The Narrative Spirituality of Dante’s Divine Comedy

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tonino Vicari is a husband, father, author, and educator. He received his Master of Arts in Theology from Sacred Heart Major Seminary. He has been involved in teaching the Catholic Faith for the past 12 years. He lives in the Coachella Valley with his wife, and two children. His hobby includes fine art landscape photography.

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The Nostalgia for a New Christendom

by Mario Ramos-Reyes

Hardback: $29.95 | Paperback: $24.95| Kindle: $9.99

TESTIMONIALS

“This important work by Mario Ramos-Reyes traces the influence of Jacques Maritain’s mature social and political philosophy in Latin America in the mid-twentieth century. Maritain’s Catholic philosophical foundation for a democratic pluralist society appealed to a generation of Latin American political and social thinkers who sought to build a democratic order in Latin America based on the dignity of the human person and Catholic social teaching. Ramos-Reyes expresses a hope that after the tragic eclipse of this vision, which was attacked from both the right and the left, this kind of democracy inspired by a Thomistic Catholic philosophy may come once again to be politically fruitful in Latin America and around the world.” – Dr. Lawrence Feingold, Professor of Theology and Philosophy, Kenrick-Glennon Seminary

“While everybody will not agree with the politics of this book, Latin Americanists should find the argument universally fascinating and enlightening because of its implications for the embeddedness of philosophy and religion (and philosophers and priests) in Latin American politics.” – Elizabeth Kuznesof, Professor and Director of the Center for Latin American Studies, University of Kansas

“Amid historical vicissitudes, Mario Ramos Reyes has sought the essentials of Maritain’s spirit: a Constitutional Democracy and the rule of law based on a Christian ethos. These still provide answers to this unmade world between postmodernism and woke ideologies and to this Latin America that, bleeding between socialist Christian utopias and its military-conservative reactions, has not yet found its path to institutional stability.” – Gabriel J. Zanotti, Professor, of UCEMA, and academic director of the Friedman-Hayek Center, and the Acton Institute, Buenos Aires, Argentina 

“Ramos-Reyes is a tragic optimist. The eclipse of Christian Democracy is indisputable. Even its resurgence can seem little more than a nostalgic dream. And yet, to draw from Scripture, he asks whether these ‘dead bones can rise again.’ He tells us that if they do, it will be at the summons of a new generation of Latin American thinkers and activists.” – James Hanink, Past President, American Maritain Association

“In The Nostalgia for a New Christendom, Mario Ramos-Reyes has written a thoughtful analysis of the thought of Jacques Maritain and its influence on Latin America. He both analyzes skillfully the insights and the failures of the Christian Democratic movement that Maritain inspired and offers an impressive defense of the relevance of Maritain’s philosophy of human dignity for the twenty-first century.” – Carl Strikwerda, former president Elizabethtown College and former dean College of William and Mary

“I recall reading William Cavanaugh’s book, Torture and Eucharist, and his call for a more radical, supernatural, Eucharistic approach to politics and his criticism of Maritain as a proponent of the Christian Democratic vision that Cavanaugh thought had marginalized and neutered the Church. Then, liberation theology took up so much of the debate. Against that was a traditional conservatism that called for a Catholic country that did not make much room for liberalism in the best sense. Then, of course, the strong secularization brings with it the legalization of abortion and the rejection of the family. Yes, where have you gone, Jacques Maritain? Well, at least there is an answer to this: the writing of Mario Ramos Reyes.” – Daniel Philpott, University of Notre Dame

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