Yay for civil discourse! :clapping:
Seriously, though, good job on the thread so far. I think you’re coming at this from the right angle and I hope the discussion continues in that vein (and I hope my post does not detract from that noble goal!).
Before I add some of my observations, first I’ll give a bit of background on where I’m coming from. I always thought I
was a “traditional Catholic.” I love the Church and I strive to live up to Her teachings as best I can. I firmly believe in all that the Church teaches. I love our pope (both the current pope and the previous one…and, well, all the 20th century popes were pretty extraordinary).
I love the liturgy and the sacraments. I have never had the opportunity to attend an EF Mass, but I would like to. I still love the OF Mass and can’t wait for the new translation. It saddens me (and often irks me) to see deviations from the rubrics (wrong kind of candles, priest not wearing all the proper vestments, omitting the
introit, singing “bread of life”/“Prince of peace” instead of “Lamb of God”, etc.)
I love and prefer the beautiful theology behind the
ad orientam posture of the priest and behind many of the traditional things (Communion on the tongue, bells, incense, beautiful churches with the tabernacle in the center, chant, etc.). I love the Second Vatican Council, though I do think that it wasn’t implemented as well as it could have been, and many people within the Church unfortunately seized it as an opportunity to push their own agenda.
However, even though I have these preferences, it bothers me to see others chastised for doing things or preferring things that are currently permitted. Perhaps things like Communion in the hand or altar girls started out as abuses that were later made acceptable, but they are still acceptable
at the present time. And while my preference may be different, I have a hard time being too critical of people that are doing what the Church allows. You see in the Old Testament all the time: God will make concessions in the law to help bring His people closer to Him. I have no problem if the Church does the same thing as I know the Church never concedes in the matters that are essential.
I haven’t been around this forum as long as many others, but from my experience, there seems to be a lot of talking past each other. I don’t think it’s accurate to group us into two groups: trads and anti-trads. I haven’t encountered anyone here that is really
anti all things traditional. Even posters who seem to get a bit, er, enthusiastic aren’t really
anti-trad. I think they just get frustrated at what they perceive to be attacks on legitimate Catholic practices, or on the OF and they retalliate in kind. Perhaps it is not the
best way to make their point, but I don’t think they are
anti-trad because of it.
I wonder if much of it has to do with our experience. For someone like me who has been blessed to live in areas with solid priests, it’s hard for me to even imagine living in a place where every Catholic parish in a 50 mile radius would have priests openly teaching heresy in their homilies. Even the “liberal” priests in my diocese wouldn’t dream of doing that! So I think it’s easier for someone like me to focus on all the positive things going on in the Church. Likewise, it’s easier for me to think that some people here are over-exaggerating the problems they see.
I can only imagine, though, that if I lived somewhere else that fits the description of many of the posters here, I couldn’t help but feel as though I was living through a historical period similar to that of Arianism. In such places, it certainly makes sense that places that offer the EF Mass would be safe havens for those who wish to follow the teachings of the Church. I would probably also be much more quick to go on the defensive as I would have much more experience trying to defend Catholic tradition from those who wish to discard it.
I really love the line in the foreword of Pope Benedict XVI’s book “Jesus of Nazareth.” Right after he says that the book is not an enterprise of the Magisterium and people are free to disagree with him, he says this:
“I would only ask my readers for that initial goodwill without which there can be no understanding.”
- Pope Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth, p. xxiv.
I have found these words to be full of truth. I cannot hope to understand those I may disagree with if I do not first approach them in a spirit of goodwill
and presume goodwill on their part. Of course, it may be the case that they
do not have goodwill, but that should not be my first assumption. When I approach people’s posts from this vantage point, I have found that I am far less likely to misread their post or think that they said something that they really never meant to say (of course, it still happens as I have not yet perfected the art of faithfully following my own advice

).
Anyway, that’s my two cents.