Conservative and Progressive Catholicism

  • Thread starter Thread starter Delphinus
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
D

Delphinus

Guest
I’m hoping you wonderful people can help me understand the difference between what are typically labeled “conservative” and “progressive/liberal” Catholics. I have noted the political differences, but I’m not sure what makes a liberal or conservative in Catholicism. I don’t want a debate of the merits of either, but factual things if you have it. Everything I find online seems heavily biased to one side or focuses primarily on US politics. I’d love to hear the perspectives of each! Thank you! <3
 
There is no “liberal” or “conservative” Catholicism…there is just Catholicism…if we follow the precepts of the Church, and accept dogma and doctrine, we are Catholic. Even if we don’t particularly like or agree with the precepts, dogma, and doctrine, but follow them, we are Catholic.
 
This is what I always thought, but I’ve seen these terms literally everywhere and I just don’t really understand what is meant when they are used. When I look it up I just see information ready to label both as horrible, wicked, evil, or heretical. shrug
 
There are liberally minded people and there are conservatively minded people. Someone may take a liberal view on one issue and a conservative view on another issue. And one person’s conservative view may be seen as liberal by another.

I think that there generally are conservative and liberal positions that can be taken within a particular issue in Catholicism. There are people here on CAF who I think of as liberal in general, but most posters here would probably be seen as being conservative by most measures.

Generally speaking, I would say:

Liberal Catholics are “spirit of the law” type thinkers.

while…

Conservative Catholics are “letter of the law” type thinkers.
 
Last edited:
Liberal would be more open to change. Conservative would rather keep things as they have been.
 
Forgive me as I try to be sure I understand so I can read literature that uses these terms, accurately. By change is it referring to change in things like liturgy, or church teachings?
 
Last edited:
Delphinus said:
Forgive me as I try to be sure I understand so I can read literature that uses these terms, accurately. By change is it referring to change in things like liturgy, or church teachings?
Click to expand...
Both.
“Liberal Catholics” usually means
  • typically baby boomers
  • they like the post-Vatican II Mass with all its trappings: priest facing the people, lack of bells/incense, music is guitars/ contemporary Christian, hand-holding during the Our Father, handshaking at Sign of Peace, priest might “add things” to the Mass or “improvise”, church interior looks modern
  • they might be into Charismatic practice
  • they’re not big on Rosary, devotions such as Angelus, etc - they see it as old-fashioned, boring, and not accomplishing anything
  • members of religious orders don’t wear habits or collars and emphasize political activism and protests over prayer
  • they support Fr. Martin’s inclusive ideas about gay people and might even to some degree support gay relationships/ gay marriage
  • they have no problem voting for Hillary or other Dems who support abortion, they might even support abortion themselves
  • less concern about worthiness and reverence when receiving Holy Communion
  • they don’t worry about Eastern religious influence, such as yoga, mindfulness meditation, etc
  • they’re presumed to actively oppose traditionalist priests and traditionalist groups who speak out against all this
  • they’re into ecumenism and believe non-Catholics can go to heaven as easily as Catholics
  • they probably don’t go to confession much (or at all)
  • they like Pope Francis
“Conservatives” refer to those who have the opposite viewpoint to the stuff listed above, and are into stuff like traditional Latin Mass, Pope Benedict, Gregorian chant. They often think of themselves as the remnant faithful who truly follow the proper Church teaching, and think of the “liberals” as harming the Church and putting themselves and others on the path to Hell. Some of them are kind of obsessed with finding liberalism under every tree and behind every action taken by a bishop that they don’t like.

Conservative/ traditional vs. liberal/ progressive/ modernist seems to mostly be a distinction pushed by the traditionalist media outlets and bloggers. Most Catholics I meet have a mixture of views, often affected by their personal life situation or something they went through with their family. I don’t fall in either camp (much like I sometimes vote Dem and sometimes vote Repub). I’m perfectly capable of appreciating things that Cardinal Burke and Cardinal Sarah say and also supporting Pope Francis. I might go to a TLM with chant on Sunday and a Charismatic mass on Wednesday. I can thoughtfully listen to Fr. Heilman and Fr. Martin without feeling like I have to break out a protest sign over either one. This doesn’t make me terribly popular with those who want us to take a side, but it is what it is.
 
Last edited:
Progressive Catholicism
  • Not calling God Father or He unless it would be hard for the sentence to flow naturally.
  • Not saying “One God” in the creed, rather “God”.
  • Parishioners who probably want cross of Jesus Rising, not one of him crucified.
  • Rejecting Fellowship of Catholic University Students for being to conservative. Literally saying that, not assumption, but responses on surveys in bulletin. (They had a few other logistical as well)
  • The Priest skips one prayer in the mass, until things got put back into shape around January.
-True Story. No comment where or how, other than its a Catholic Church.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top