I’m a crazy traditionalist, so let’s see if I can help.
Feel free to disagree, but I’d say that these opinions are generally shared by most of the people whom I know that identify as “Traditional”. I really think that the Fisheaters quote was spot on:
There is the idea that being a Catholic is not just about believing as the Church has believed but is also about worshipping God in the way the Church has passed down to us.
**NFP: **Traditional Catholics believe that NFP is an exception that has swallowed the rule in recent years. They believe that NFP should only be used in very rare situations and then, only under the advice and direction of the Priest and not at the whim of the couple in order to prevent selfishness or misunderstanding.
**Politics: **Traditional Catholics believe that the Church’s teaching on the Social Kingship of Christ is still relevant today and therefore, government should always be answerable morally for it’s actions. A Traditional Catholic would say that most societies today favour an exaggerated emphasis on individualism that stems from, amongst other sources, the French Revolutionaries. They would opine that this trend is one that has a profoundly negative impact upon Western society and that one fruit of this is the error of believing that separation of Church and State is a good thing for society. The Encyclical
Quas Primas states:
“It is a dogma of faith that Jesus Christ was given to man, not only as our Redeemer, but also as a lawgiver, to whom obedience is due…It would be a grave error, on the other hand, to say that Christ has no authority whatever in civil affairs…Nor is there any difference in this matter between the individual and the family or the State; for all men, whether individually or collectively, are under the dominion of Christ.”
Traditional Catholics often hold political views that contradict many so-called ‘mainstream’ Catholics because they believe that systems of secular government are far from ideal and do not further the recognition of the Kingship of Christ or the authority of the Church.
Parental Responsibility: Traditional Catholics believe, generally, that the family is the central source of passing on the Catholic Faith and that it is the Parent’s specific responsibility (not the school or Church’s, though they can act as supports) to pass on the Catholic Faith in a true and complete manner to the children. In this sense, Parental responsibility is vital. Many traditional Catholic families do not homeschool but still take time to teach children the Faith from the basics of how to behave at Mass or simple prayers to more complex instruction when they are older. Many Parents choose to use the “Baltimore Catechism” as a basic instructional tool for understanding the Catholic Faith.
**Marriage: **Understood as the Sacramental union between a man and a woman that, when validly entered into, lasts for life. The Traditional Catholic believes that the primary purpose of Marriage is for the procreation and raising of children.
Sex in general: Is reserved for marriage and the primary purpose is for the procreation and raising of children and the secondary purpose is the unity of the spouses. Many Traditional Catholics feel that the primary purpose of sex has been subordinated to the secondary purpose and, for this reason, many Traditional Catholics cast a wary eye on the use of NFP without the guidance of a Priest (see above).
**Entertainment:**Traditional Catholics generally believe that most modern-day entertainment does not pose a beneficial influence in the life of a Catholic and, in the best-case scenario, is merely harmless. Traditional Catholics (especially in some parishes) are encouraged to avoid watching television programming altogether or to select programs that are free from harmful influences, especially where young children are concerned. The extent to which modern entertainment plays a role in daily life will vary from family to family, but generally most Traditionalists will agree that modern entertainment offers little of substantial value.
(Contd in next post…)
