Happy Birthday FSSP, New Columns, and Other Stuff

First things first.  Happy 25th Birthday FSSP.  The Register has a pretty glowing profile of them.  People really underestimate just how important the founding of the Fraternity was.  For traditionalists, they were able to maintain their traditional identity but still do so in communion with the Bishop of Rome.  While I reject the whole line that the Extraordinary Form would not have survived without the SSPX to begin with (I reject such fatalism as if the Spirit would let that liturgy die!), there is no doubt that the Latin Mass would not be where it was today without the FSSP.

For those outside of traditionalism, the Fraternity was very important as well.  It showed people that traditionalists aren't all the wacky schismatic kooks that misguided bloggers liked to portray us as.  Oh sure, we got em, but nowhere near what the conventional wisdom is.  As the FSSP continued to grow, the kooks we do have became a lot more marginalized.  They also helped priests who weren't in the Fraternity learn to say the Extraordinary Form, bringing that beautiful form of liturgy to many parishes weekly.  People saw their liturgical reverence and were influenced by it.

Ironically, 50-100 years from now, the only things we will remember about the relationship between John Paul II and traditionalists are the excommunication of the by then ashbin of history SSPX, the legislation which gradually lead to the Benedictine restoration of the Extraordinary Form, and confirming the founding of the FSSP.  The rest will be a bunch of irrelevant noise to my grandchildren and great grandchildren.

While I haven't blogged much, I've been very busy writing still.  The usual column appeared at Catholic Lane about a New Pentecost, what it is, how the Sacrament of Confirmation helps, and how to make it happen.

The work I'm most happy about however appears at a place that might strike some readers as odd.  During the so called "Westian Wars", one of the biggest promoters of the views of Mr. West was Catholic Exchange.  (They originally ran the horrendous Janet Smith hit piece on Dawn Eden, debunked by yours truly.)  Yet I'm glad that chapter is closed.  This week they gave me the opportunity to write my own take on the Wednesday audiences, and why I think the popular understanding of the audiences (by the likes of Smith, West, et al) misses the larger point of those audiences. 

I'm hoping they will give me a chance to develop the thought further (the comboxes got pretty lively so there is certainly interest!), but consider this column an opening teaser to building a Theology of the Family.

Hope to return to regular blogging next week.  Planning on writing on so-called "radical traditionalism", develop a bit more of my CE column, and whatever else I come across.  Lots of changes in my life the past month obviously (thank you for all the well wishes and prayers after the wedding!), and there will inevitably be many more changes to talk about.