Pope Francis: many young people in the Church have fallen into the ‘temptation of rigidity’

[Randolph]

Pope Francis means hard hearted which is similar to rigid.
To be rigid or hard hearted means to be not truly yielding to Christ…hard hearted. Pope Francis is calling youth to an authentic life in Christ.

Shouldn’t a calling to an authentic life in Christ be applicable to EVERYONE? Why did Pope Francis specifically call out youth who attend the Tridentine Mass? Are their souls somehow in danger for attending the Tridentine Mass? Isn’t the Tridendine Mass a valid Mass in the Church? Why don’t youth who attend the New Mass get the same treatment? What message does Pope Francis send to others (and these youth) about these youth with the “rigid” label? In sum, what have these youth done to earn such a label?

 

[Expatreprocedit]

If I had a dollar for every rigid young Catholic I’ve met in my life, I wouldn’t be able to buy a cup of coffee.

I’ve encountered quite a few rigid young people of many churches and denominations, including the Catholic Church, and my own Church, the Orthodox Church. I can’t say with certainty, but I’m guessing the Pope’s comments are aimed at the seeming surge in extremism and Fundamentalism that is occurring in much of the world right now. It can of course be seen in Muslim extremist movements such as ISIS. But it also seems to be occurring to a lesser extent in Christianity. I know in Orthodoxy right now, there is a growing camp of anti-“ecumenists”.

 

[TheAmazingGrace]

If I had a dollar for every rigid young Catholic I’ve met in my life, I wouldn’t be able to buy a cup of coffee.

You should come to my school, bro.

 

[TheAmazingGrace]

I think a distinction needs to be made between “rigidity” and “steadfastness”. A steadfast person is strong in their faith, while a rigid person is legalistic.

 

[abucs]

I think a distinction needs to be made between “rigidity” and “steadfastness”. A steadfast person is strong in their faith, while a rigid person is legalistic.

You can be rigid in your opposition to legalism.

People seem to be using rigid as a pejorative for something they themselves oppose and using words like steadfast to mean exactly the same thing but for something one agrees with.

 

[LightBound]

Shouldn’t a calling to an authentic life in Christ be applicable to EVERYONE? Why did Pope Francis specifically call out youth who attend the Tridentine Mass? Are their souls somehow in danger for attending the Tridentine Mass? Isn’t the Tridendine Mass a valid Mass in the Church? Why don’t youth who attend the New Mass get the same treatment? What message does Pope Francis send to others (and these youth) about these youth with the “rigid” label? In sum, what have these youth done to earn such a label?

He’s not talking about youth who have a preference for the Extraordinary Form of the Mass, offered by priests or orders completely in union with Rome. He’s talking about those whose rigid mindset causes them to refuse to attend the Ordinary Form of the Mass and instead seek out an Extraordinary Form from a schismatic group or one not fully in union with Rome.

 

[phil19034]

The Holy Father is exactly correct.

Hello Father,

I think I’m having difficulty with the word “rigid” and what it means. Are you able to provide some example of how young people are being rigid, but my interaction with the young is that they are either not coming to Mass or the ones who do are very joyful and attend faithful/energetic Catholic high schools / colleges like Franciscan University of Steubenville, Catholic University, etc.

Personally, I haven’t met a young, devout Catholic who I would consider “rigid” so I don’t have personal experience to understand what His Holiness means.

I’m 100% sure he’s correct, but I’m not sure what his referring to either because of a translation issue or because I simply do not have experience with rigid youth.

Any examples you can provide (or anyone else) would be very helpful.

God Bless and thank you for your priesthood!

 

[phil19034]

You should come to my school, bro.

Could you please describe what they do or what they are like? I honestly have never met a youth I would consider to be “rigid.” Perhaps it is a regional thing.

But examples would be helpful for me (and others) to properly understand what the Holy Father is warning about (which I’m sure is 100% legit).

Thank you and God Bless

 

[Seamus_L]

I believe recent studies indicate that young Catholics are increasingly rejecting Church teaching on contraception,divorce, homosexuality, ordination of women, abortion, the existence of hell, etc.

 

[St_Francis]

You can be rigid in your opposition to legalism.

People seem to be using rigid as a pejorative for something they themselves oppose and using words like steadfast to mean exactly the same thing but for something one agrees with.

I agree with you and think that is why the Pope’s words tend to bother me until I re-think them through.

I think that he should provide a contrast so we understand better the boundaries of what he is talking about, but I fear that he believes he is providing that model in person, so that “Who am I to judge,” AL footnotes, etc., *lacking thorough explanation, *are the model, but it is too diffuse to be helpful.

As a parent, I tend to look at things in that respect. Do I want one of my children coming to me to tell me his plans to divorce and remarry his mistress on the grounds that his wife is infertile and his mistress is carrying his child, and it’s ok because of AL?

So the difference between the Pope and us is that he has the knowledge to understand what he’s doing, but by not providing us-- including priests, bishops, and cardinals to whom we might turn for counsel-- with a better understanding, we are left clueless.

And this brings me to another idea: that when things are unsettled, people who are disturbed by the lack of clarity tend… to become rigid.

 

[ProdigalSun]

If you’re right, this communication / translation issue has been ongoing for a few years now. Calling out “rigid Catholics” (and “rigid” priests) has been a key often repeated theme of the Holy Father’s preaching.

OK but what does the Holy Father mean when he says “too rigid” Am I being to rigid when I teach my daughter that one must go to confession if you have Mortal sins. Is it to rigid to believe the Churches teachings on the impossibility of Women preistess. I don’t konw what Rigid means in this case?

 

[ProdigalSun]

Yes, I mean we have the parable of building our faith on firm foundations and not shifting sands.

Firm foundations are by definition, rigid foundations.

As well, St. Paul was rigid in his persecution of the Christians but then he was probably more rigid in his attempts to advocate for Christ and make amends.

Rigidness in itself is not good or bad but it depends what it is that is rigid.

Criticising people using the category of “rigid Christians” is a pejorative and it is unbecoming and unsuitable for someone so important as our Holy Father.

I hope it is the translation that is misleading but as you said, it has been that way for some time.

Exactly! It is another of the Popes ambiguous statements that does more to confuse than help the faithful!

For the good of the Holy Father’s reputation, I would want this sorted out very soon.

 

[Exiled_Child]

I, too, believe Francis is spot on. I’ve encountered many people expressing the attitude he describes. It’s viewed as a form of rebellion among certain young people drawn to Traditionalist thought. The sort of Catholics who ponder overly fondly on the Crusades, perhaps. It’s certainly not an uncommon strand among us, and it’s not hard to understand the temptation, either, I think.

 

[phil19034]

I, too, believe Francis is spot on. I’ve encountered many people expressing the attitude he describes. It’s viewed as a form of rebellion among certain young people drawn to Traditionalist thought. The sort of Catholics who ponder overly fondly on the Crusades, perhaps. It’s certainly not an uncommon strand among us, and it’s not hard to understand the temptation, either, I think.

Could you please describe the young people you encountered who are ridged (and who come to mass every week)?

I am seriously failing to envision these kids because the majority of young Catholics I know either don’t go to Church (or are forced to go when home with mom & dad) or are very active and filled with Christian joy.

I really only see the ideal or not practicing. I’ve never encountered young people who are rigid (or at least what I would consider rigid).

I really would love some very detailed descriptions of what these young people are like so I can understand.

God Bless

 

[Exiled_Child]

Could you please describe the young people you encountered who are ridged (and who come to mass every week)?

I am seriously failing to envision these kids because the majority of young Catholics I know either don’t go to Church (or are forced to go when home with mom & dad) or are very active and filled with Christian joy.

I really only see the ideal or not practicing. I’ve never encountered young people who are rigid (or at least what I would consider rigid).

I really would love some very detailed descriptions of what these young people are like so I can understand.

God Bless

Oh, well I just meant people who focus, perhaps, a little too much on the idea of racial and religious invasion of the West. I believe that idea is at the heart of what Francis was referring to. I think, too, the “Ratzinger Rising” thread shines some light on what he meant, as far as widespread misunderstanding of Vatican II is concerned.

firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2017/05/ratzinger-rising

That’s only my take, Phil. I’m curious, because I know that you’re also a diehard Catholic; did it seem to you that he was referring to something else? I mean, I’m only giving my own opinion based upon my own understanding.

 

[phil19034]

Oh, well I just meant people who focus, perhaps, a little too much on the idea of racial and religious invasion of the West. I believe that idea is at the heart of what Francis was referring to. I think, too, the “Ratzinger Rising” thread shines some light on what he meant, as far as widespread misunderstanding of Vatican II is concerned.

firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2017/05/ratzinger-rising

That’s only my take, Phil. I’m curious, because I know that you’re also a diehard Catholic; did it seem to you that he was referring to something else? I mean, I’m only giving my own opinion based upon my own understanding.

OK, the Ratzinger Rising thing is good and describes good youth movements (similar to ones that started under JPII.

But I still fail to conceptualize young Catholic who attend mass every weekend, if not also attending daily mass, who are not faithful.

“Young people” is too broad of a term for me. So I’m simply trying to envision who he’s talking about. Again, I’m sure I’ll agree with him 100%, but it’s hard because the description is too vague for me to understand what characteristics he’s describing.

The young Catholics I know who attend Mass every weekend are very faithful to the Church and her teachings, even more so than their parent’s generation. And not in a bad way, but a good way. They love Jesus, His Blessed Mother, the Rosary, Adoration, the Liturgy, the brilliance in the Church’s teachings, etc.

So I’m simply trying to understand who His Holiness is talking about. If he’s talking about people don’t attend Mass regularly, then that makes sense. Because there are a ton of rigid young people out there… literally tons. But I personally don’t know any who regularly go to mass.

 

[LordHaveMercy]

I frequently encounter very rigid young people as well. They will not consider alternative points of view, they are firmly set on the views they have and I’m not sure if there is anyone who they will listen to, because they discount people who they disagree with simply because they disagree with them.

They cling to traditions almost blindly even when there is plain evidence that these traditions are simply social customs from a time and place. They apply this to how they worship, their family life, what they wear and how they judge others. The react very negatively when these notions are questioned. I worry that they will eventually look around and realize that they’ve built their entire lives on these ideas that they don’t seem to have ever questioned.

The things I see them rigidly holding to are things like their support for and reliance on contraception, their certainty that cohabitation is necessary before you can have a happy marriage, their belief that marriage is between any two adults who want to be married, and that they can simply divorce if they decide they don’t want to be married anymore. It’s very sad, they are so rigid that they won’t even consider that they might be wrong.

 

[phil19034]

I frequently encounter very rigid young people as well. They will not consider alternative points of view, they are firmly set on the views they have and I’m not sure if there is anyone who they will listen to, because they discount people who they disagree with simply because they disagree with them.

They cling to traditions almost blindly even when there is plain evidence that these traditions are simply social customs from a time and place. They apply this to how they worship, their family life, what they wear and how they judge others. The react very negatively when these notions are questioned. I worry that they will eventually look around and realize that they’ve built their entire lives on these ideas that they don’t seem to have ever questioned.

The things I see them rigidly holding to are things like their support for and reliance on contraception, their certainty that cohabitation is necessary before you can have a happy marriage, their belief that marriage is between any two adults who want to be married, and that they can simply divorce if they decide they don’t want to be married anymore. It’s very sad, they are so rigid that they won’t even consider that they might be wrong.

This is a great example of the rigid young people I encounter

But I don’t see them regularly attending Catholic Mass. So if that’s who His Holiness is mainly speaking about, I agree 100%.

If he’s talking about people who attend Mass regularly, I’ll need more examples because then I would be confused again.

 

[Exiled_Child]

OK, the Ratzinger Rising thing is good and describes good youth movements (similar to ones that started under JPII.

But I still fail to conceptualize young Catholic who attend mass every weekend, if not also attending daily mass, who are not faithful.

“Young people” is too broad of a term for me. So I’m simply trying to envision who he’s talking about. Again, I’m sure I’ll agree with him 100%, but it’s hard because the description is too vague for me to understand what characteristics he’s describing.

The young Catholics I know who attend Mass every weekend are very faithful to the Church and her teachings, even more so than their parent’s generation. And not in a bad way, but a good way. They love Jesus, His Blessed Mother, the Rosary, Adoration, the Liturgy, the brilliance in the Church’s teachings, etc.

So I’m simply trying to understand who His Holiness is talking about. If he’s talking about people don’t attend Mass regularly, then that makes sense. Because there are a ton of rigid young people out there… literally tons. But I personally don’t know any who regularly go to mass.

Oh, well I think perhaps he’s talking about rigid rhetoric among young Catholics, not young people who are unfaithful in any kind of way. I could be wrong. I’m rather shy and quiet by nature, and left to my own devices I’d be quiet most of the time. But I do have the capacity to be a complete chatterbox when situations call for it, and when I talk with younger/youngish people, that’s generally the order of the day. And I actually have heard quite a bit of this sort of talk, 'cos I do go out of my way to talk with both young and old people. Catholics, I mean. Because I’ve always enjoyed shooting the breeze with fellow Catholics, and also because I sometimes find it kind of difficult to trust non-Catholics, owing to unfortunate life experiences, and so I do tend to probe about these kinds of subjects. Also, I’ve always been sort of a magnet for certain types of peoples, kindred spirits, I suppose. Because I always had wild ideas when I was young, too, if that makes any sense.

 

[LordHaveMercy]

This is a great example of the rigid young people I encounter

But I don’t see them regularly attending Catholic Mass. So if that’s who His Holiness is mainly speaking about, I agree 100%.

If he’s talking about people who attend Mass regularly, I’ll need more examples because then I would be confused again.

Because I love the Holy Father and want to understand his words so that I may apply them to my life, I would also be very interested in examples. What is specific way that the rigidity manifests itself and what would be the preferred, non-rigid (or not-too-rigid) approach look like? Which Saints best lived lives that exhibited the virtue of flexibility?