Catholic Answers Live Radio Show on "Radical Traditionalism" Tonight!

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I was interested when Father Cekada called in. I thought that could have been interesting discussion. Unfortunately, every time he spoke it seemed that they started atlking over him and not letting him finish.

i don’t agree with most, heck hardly anthing that he says, but they should have let him speak, then debunk him. When you continually try to talk over someone it kind of shows you are arguing from a position of wekness, not strength.
It kind of reminds me of posts here that try to silence those of us who have questions by stating that we are untrusting, lack faith, are easily confused by that which is not confusing to them, that we aren’t concerned with our own salvation first, etc. etc.
 
I will say it again. Tim Staples really knows his stuff. He should do a CD set on this topic and go point by point on each and every one of their arguments and debunk them.
That would be awesome.
 
*Socially-necessary disclaimer: No, I don’t think saying that is uncharitable in any sense, since it is simply an observation of reality.
You’ve got to learn to stop holding things in. Just be honest and tell us how you really feel. 😃

On a serious note though, as usual, you do bring up some good points. Looking at the various sides of an argument and discerning who is debating from a position of reason, logic, and doctrine versus who is debating from a position of emotion, feelings, and preference can tell you much about the strength of their positions, or at least the competence of the persons doing the arguing.

An appeal to emotion is a logical fallacy for a reason, it would be useful if more people recognized that.
 
I was interested when Father Cekada called in. I thought that could have been interesting discussion. Unfortunately, every time he spoke it seemed that they started atlking over him and not letting him finish.

i don’t agree with most, heck hardly anthing that he says, but they should have let him speak, then debunk him. When you continually try to talk over someone it kind of shows you are arguing from a position of wekness, not strength.
Agreed.

It has long been my contention that if they are so wrong, let them have their say. What is there to fear if their arguments are so crazy? Let them talk and then show where they are wrong. What’s would be so difficult doing that? Father Cekada should have been allowed to speak without having questions hurled at him within seconds by two people and being interrupted.

Also, you have to remember that there was no internet back then and word traveled very slow. I am certain that it took Father Cekada a long time to come to his conclusion. There wasn’t just one grand “Aha!!!” moment as Patrick Coffin seemed to think. It took a long time to collect info back then.

Again, though, I will say that at least Tim Staples knew his subject matter.
 
What is there to fear if their arguments are so crazy? Let them talk and then show where they are wrong. What’s would be so difficult doing that? Father Cekada should have been allowed to speak without having questions hurled at him within seconds by two people and being interrupted.
I definitely agree. I wanted to hear the discussion approximately evenly from both sides. That didn’t happen. It’s as if the host and guest did not really want callers, and did not want them to speak much.
Also, you have to remember that there was no internet back then and word traveled very slow. I am certain that it took Father Cekada a long time to come to his conclusion. There wasn’t just one grand “Aha!!!” moment as Patrick Coffin seemed to think. It took a long time to collect info back then.
And/or, it took a long time to come to a painful conclusion and make a soul-wrenching choice! I’m not convinced that it was just about the internet & ‘gathering information.’
Again, though, I will say that at least Tim Staples knew his subject matter.
You keep saying this, but the show was not “about” Tim. He was there to inquire of live callers, to correct them after letting them speak, to clarify differences between their conclusions and what the Church says, to debate them in their facts and/or reasoning, agree when appropriate, and disagree. We didn’t need to hear what Tim’s assumptions were and previous understandings (about them) were – or at least to have the show dominated by that. We needed his expertise as a filter. We did not receive that, poster.
 
It seems you are misunderstanding my meaning, Elizabeth.

Would you want Tim Staples to do what he did without knowing the “mind” of those he was refuting? I am aware that the show wasn’t about Tim Staples. Many articles I read written by apologists that are trying to refute sedevacantists, and it is obvious that they haven’t researched their subject well.

So, yes. I was impressed that Tim Staples had read Patrick Omlor’s books as well as the various books and/or writings of Father Cekada.

I didn’t expect the show to be about live callers. I was looking for a show that would systematically go through each of the arguments that traditionals use to buttress their stance and have them demolished.

This may not be important to you, but it is to me. I’ve spent many years with these people and am still paying the price.
 
It seems you are misunderstanding my meaning, Elizabeth.

Would you want Tim Staples to do what he did without knowing the “mind” of those he was refuting? I am aware that the show wasn’t about Tim Staples. Many articles I read written by apologists that are trying to refute sedevacantists, and it is obvious that they haven’t researched their subject well.

So, yes. I was impressed that Tim Staples had read Patrick Omlor’s books as well as the various books and/or writings of Father Cekada.

I didn’t expect the show to be about live callers. I was looking for a show that would systematically go through each of the arguments that traditionals use to buttress their stance and have them demolished.

This may not be important to you, but it is to me. I’ve spent many years with these people and am still paying the price.
Yes, I think that’s fair – your correction of me. 🙂 I think I did overly emphasize the caller aspect, yes. Here’s what my expectation was: Yours. 🙂

I expected first, that Tim describe his book-knowledge and perhaps experiential knowledge of “rad-trad’lism.”

This is what I understand they believe, and why they believe it.
This is where they are wrong, and my support for that is…and…

Doing that issue by issue, even for a full half hour – laying it out, then offering callers to come into it. (I’ve seen that radio format work in secular programs: Guest – in this case, Tim-- is allowed to lay out info, or bio, or argument in first 30 minutes. It also makes things very efficient, because it could dissuade callers who did not have a good counter-argument, had not done their homework, etc. It’s also efficient because sharp callers with strong counter-info could address just those points that the caller finds weak.)

However, once (whenever that was) callers began calling in (& Patrick could have done a great job on announcing that, as he always does: “If you have an argument specifically against Church as People of God, against the OF as valid, against “allowances” of V2 about____, you are invited to call in and speak against Tim’s particular points, and please keep it to that.”), then a chance to speak should have been there.
 
Yes, I think that’s fair – your correction of me. 🙂 I think I did overly emphasize the caller aspect, yes. Here’s what my expectation was: Yours. 🙂

I expected first, that Tim describe his book-knowledge and perhaps experiential knowledge of “rad-trad’lism.”

This is what I understand they believe, and why they believe it.
This is where they are wrong, and my support for that is…and…

Doing that issue by issue, even for a full half hour – laying it out, then offering callers to come into it. (I’ve seen that radio format work in secular programs: Guest – in this case, Tim-- is allowed to lay out info, or bio, or argument in first 30 minutes. It also makes things very efficient, because it could dissuade callers who did not have a good counter-argument, had not done their homework, etc. It’s also efficient because sharp callers with strong counter-info could address just those points that the caller finds weak.)

However, once (whenever that was) callers began calling in (& Patrick could have done a great job on announcing that, as he always does: “If you have an argument specifically against Church as People of God, against the OF as valid, against “allowances” of V2 about____, you are invited to call in and speak against Tim’s particular points, and please keep it to that.”), then a chance to speak should have been there.
I agree. 👍

I think Tim Staples should consult us in the future. :D:D:D
 
I agree. 👍

I think Tim Staples should consult us in the future. :D:D:D
The interesting thing is that my “suggested format” is something that Patrick already often does, for shorter programs. (One-hour guest.) If the guest has particular expertise, or the show is focused on just one aspect of the guest’s expertise, that is laid out, with Patrick’s guidance, in the first 10 minutes or so. Then a break, then he invites callers in (or begins accepting calls after they’re on the line).

But this show yesterday lacked any kind of organization, i.m.o. Very uncentered and rambling.
 
So, essentially you’re saying that heretics/heretical-leaning people set up a practical straw man and use it to–unlike usually–protect themselves? They beat that drum of, “But we’re the People of God.”
I think I’m saying that, according to “radical traditionalists,” (and perhaps many traditionalists), the V2 documents – without further explanations & limitations – were broad enough to drive a Mack Truck through, for those so inclined. 😉 “Straw man” perhaps describes it less accurately than simple expediency & a great deal of luck. V2 described grand ideas, grounded in Scripture. The Church, historically, deals with grand ideas, grounded in scripture, modified by the particulars of Sacred Tradition and an existing theological system which situates those grand ideas. 😉
]I’ve noticed a difference about the spectrum of things in the Church. On the “left” (for lack of better terms) we hear a lot of whining and catch-phrases. “People of God,” “collegiality,” “Jesus loves us too,” “Vatican II said, Vatican II said, Vatican II said (x5000000),” and so on. On the “right” we don’t hear catchphrases, we see reasoned arguments. NCReporter types are very eager to jump the gun and “coin the slogan and make the t-shirt” for everything; they treat everything like a social issue or March of Dimes fundraiser.
That’s because of the politicization of the Council by the secular media, a fact (yes, fact) which our dear Holy Father just introduced recently, although I no longer see the thread up. It was about the exploitation of the Council by the rhetoric-heavy, politically-oriented secular media contemporaneous to the Council, followed by the lack of correction of that by the Church herself.
The SSPX is not typically going to go around riling up laypeople; they’d much rather write an essay or a cool-headed piece for their website.
Yes, traditionalists are more comfortable with the rationality in which the Church herself subsides, but especially because they tend to respect Church history and authority. However, that’s not all of it, i.m.o. The illusion of “no boundaries,” which some interpreted (incorrectly) V2 to embrace, is very comfortable to those on the left, and particularly was during the time period of the Council. Those, OTOH, who are well versed in Church history and Church foundations, understand that Divine Law is both freedom and “the fence” of Torah. The fence is the way into freedom. Boundaries, as all the Saints knew, allow us to access God intimately.
The SSPX types … are becoming slightly more comfortable as time goes on, since they do have a very healthy sized ideological posterity.
The poster edwest2 linked a really good article, recently (within the last week, I think), on how the Left also does not have much of a biological posterity, not surprisingly. It was some historical perspective on what went wrong post-Council, and how we got to where we are now. I don’t see it now, but maybe I’m not looking in the right place.
Speaking for myself, I tend not to trust my feelings enough to be on the left side of things.
The Church says we must not trust our feelings exclusively for anything spiritual. We bring our feelings to prayer, when those feelings disconcert us, and we use objective aids – not just subjective – to know what we should do with those feelings and how we should act, or not, on those feelings. Otherwise, the devil will insert himself into those feelings and comfort us that we are masters of our own universe.
 
Anyone who thought that Mr. Staples had done his homework on this one, are you kidding me? This was perhaps the worst CAL program I’ve ever heard. The fact that he didn’t even know that the SSPX condemn Feeneyism… give me a break.
 
The Rad Trads have issued their impudent response.
Quite a thorough an sysntct rebuttal to the nonsense that was being spewed on the radio program. I usually defend CAF among traditionalists, but I’m still at a loss for words for just how academically and theologically awful this show was. Oh and can we call them Catholics and not RadTrads? Because I think some of them have doctrine down better than the likes of Cardinal Daneels and his support for gay marriage.
 
Quite a thorough an sysntct rebuttal to the nonsense that was being spewed on the radio program. I usually defend CAF among traditionalists, but I’m still at a loss for words for just how academically and theologically awful this show was. Oh and can we call them Catholics and not RadTrads? Because I think some of them have doctrine down better than the likes of Cardinal Daneels and his support for gay marriage.
Just in case someone thinks you are making that last bit up or is unfamiliar with Church teaching on civil unions.

vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/world-news/detail/articolo/nozze-gay-gay-marriage-matrimonio-homosexsual-25467/
vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20030731_homosexual-unions_en.html

As for the rest, I do think there are some things in that program that could have been done better. In addition, I would certainly love to see Catholic Answers Live get into issues like Cardinal Danneels’ statement and address things like this as the heresies they are. They could be a powerful voice for orthodoxy in the Faith should they choose to go that route.
 
I’ve met Tim several times, as well as Patrick. I’m trying to put this as charitable as possible and be fair, but that show was not good, nor balanced. And to top it off, having Fr. Cekada on the air, coming across as some sort of typical “trad” example, was not a smart move (I really don’t think Coffin realized who he was as first). Worse still, they kept talking over him when he tried to answer their questions. It came across, to me, that they were afraid of what he might say.

In addition, calling the SSPX “schismatic” (I am not SSPX or sede) was in error. Only the holy father can make that declaration ( and he hasn’t), not Tim, not Patrick nor Karl. In the following segment, Tim seemed to back off that description and called them “unique”, and that they are even closer to us than the Orthodox, which is kind of a odd statement, considering what some of the post conciliar popes have described the Orthodox as. How “close” is close?:confused:

Tim’s statement of the New Mass being a “revision of the previous form” was unfortunate. I’ll give Tim the benefit of the doubt and perhaps he is just ignorant about this particular subject, but Benedict himself called the New Mass a banal fabrication. Many Catholics think the New Mass is just a vernacularized version of the old rite, which is just not true.
 
Boy. Rad Trad? How would anyone like to be called a Rad Mod? Honestly, a book or booklet needs to be written regarding the objections of all the “radicals” so that answers, with supporting footnotes regarding statements, encyclicals - in other words - proofs that someone is right or wrong. Clear, unambiguous, and to the point. Perhaps all this could be read aloud with one party playing the trad(s) and the other answering their questions so we can listen to it and download it.

Frankly, I’m getting a bit tired of what appears to be a small group regularly posting about the SSPX or whatever other flavor of “those who don’t get it/are wrong” you can think of.

I see where the “radicals” are coming from on a number of points. Bottom line: get it over with. Not with accusations but with precise answers.

Ed
 
Boy. Rad Trad? How would anyone like to be called a Rad Mod? Honestly, a book or booklet needs to be written regarding the objections of all the “radicals” so that answers, with supporting footnotes regarding statements, encyclicals - in other words - proofs that someone is right or wrong. Clear, unambiguous, and to the point. Perhaps all this could be read aloud with one party playing the trad(s) and the other answering their questions so we can listen to it and download it.

Frankly, I’m getting a bit tired of what appears to be a small group regularly posting about the SSPX or whatever other flavor of “those who don’t get it/are wrong” you can think of.

I see where the “radicals” are coming from on a number of points. Bottom line: get it over with. Not with accusations but with precise answers.

Ed
I couldn’t agree more. Mockery won’t soften their hearts. Or win them back to Holy Mother Church.
 
I really worried when Fr. Cekada got through because Tim and Pat were way over their heads and I do not subscribe to the sede position. It was all quite laughable up to that point. The Remnant article was great but what should really stick out and show the flaw of the CAL position is this:

“Catholicism”, doesn’t have a dog in the fight between sedevacantism and Neo-Catholicism. However, it is a shame that the irony of these two positions arguing against each other was lost on both sides. For Neo-Catholics and sedevacantists realty are two sides of the same coin. Both treat every papal act, decree, teaching, sermon, or permitted practice as something that must be automatically revered and obeyed at all times. If what comes from the pope does not seem to square with past teaching, the Neo-Catholics say we must accept it anyway because it comes from the Pope. On the other hand, the sedevacantists say, that since these new teachings contradict that which came before, the man who is saying them cannot be the pope."
 
I really worried when Fr. Cekada got through because Tim and Pat were way over their heads
"

My sentiments exactly. Most of the best arguments against the sede position are made by (gulp!) the SSPX, which is what made listening to the show all the more ironic!
 
I’ve met Tim several times, as well as Patrick. I’m trying to put this as charitable as possible and be fair, but that show was not good, nor balanced. And to top it off, having Fr. Cekada on the air, coming across as some sort of typical “trad” example, was not a smart move (I really don’t think Coffin realized who he was as first). Worse still, they kept talking over him when he tried to answer their questions. It came across, to me, that they were afraid of what he might say.

In addition, calling the SSPX “schismatic” (I am not SSPX or sede) was in error. Only the holy father can make that declaration ( and he hasn’t), not Tim, not Patrick nor Karl. In the following segment, Tim seemed to back off that description and called them “unique”, and that they are even closer to us than the Orthodox, which is kind of a odd statement, considering what some of the post conciliar popes have described the Orthodox as. How “close” is close?:confused:

Tim’s statement of the New Mass being a “revision of the previous form” was unfortunate. I’ll give Tim the benefit of the doubt and perhaps he is just ignorant about this particular subject, but Benedict himself called the New Mass a banal fabrication. Many Catholics think the New Mass is just a vernacularized version of the old rite, which is just not true.
Agreed, I felt the same way. I used to be a big Tim Staples fan, and have even seen him in person, but I lost a lot of respect for him during this show. I am not SSPX either, but I could tell he was treating the Society unfairly. I’d really like to hear Tim’s arguments against supplied jurisdiction.

And though I do not subscribe to Fr. Cekada’s viewpoints, I thought he at least deserved a chance to answer the questions being asked without being interrupted time and time again. The fact that he was the only “rad trad” allowed on (only THREE total callers in the first hour, none of which were traditional, and just a handful in the second hour) says a lot about that show.
 
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