A Sunday Thought About Avoiding the Catholic Online "Wars"

Ah! Another peaceful, recollected Sunday (we hope!) in our glorious Easter Season. The Lord's Day brings us to Mass (assuming your local parish isn't shuttered during this C-Virus Mess - apparently some still are). The Lord's Day also brings us some respite from our daily toil, whether toil on the job, or that related to domestic matters. 

So far so good.

Now, maybe we settle down to catch up on some "news" (to the extent you can find real sources of reliable news that's not completely made-up propaganda or agenda-riddled twisting of facts). Perhaps some Catholic websites with spiritually nourishing information; maybe even some that keep us informed about what's going on in our troubled Holy Mother Church.

Hold on! Maybe not. Before we forge ahead, let's recognize this: Just because a site is purportedly Catholic, don't assume what it puts out is accurate. Catholics can be sloppy about accuracy, like anyone else. And let's not forget that some (many?) of these websites are driven more by agenda than truth - just like many other websites. But there's more.

You see, we Catholics - even before the dawn of the Internet - have, for some reason, a lot of trouble getting along with each other. And while that may have been the case throughout Church history, it does seem especially so since Vatican II unleashed "the kraken" back in the 1960s/1970s. 

This particular kraken began as cracks skillfully chiselled into documents put forth by the Council. The theory is that some of the participants wanted to dramatically change not only the practice of our rites, but the ancient doctrines that we were taught trace back to Our Lord and His Apostles. The little cracks widened rather quickly in those early post-Council years. A few astute observers saw this and reported it. A good example: Dietrich von Hildebrand's The Devastated Vineyard. The title alone tells the story. 

The warnings fell on mostly deaf ears - mostly. Those who listened and understood persisted in sounding the alarm, sometimes banding together in relatively small groups to support each other in their efforts. (At a local gathering of one such group, The Roman Forum, I was privileged to hear the great von Hildebrand himself lecture a good-sized group of concerned serious Catholics. I even got to briefly meet him afterwards.)

Over time, groups of various sizes and influence formed on either side of great chasm that divides what have come to be called liberal vs. conservative, modernist vs. traditional, left vs. right, cafeteria vs. orthodox, etc. Opposing descriptions proliferated, each side opposing the other. Eventually each has come to accuse the other of being unorthodox, heretical - you name it. 

Okay, so avoid websites aligned with the worst elements that have tried to use Vatican II to create some false version of Catholicism. Stick with tried and true authentic Catholic sites. Right? Not so fast.   

Our short and sweet (or not-so-sweet) history ought not imply that what's out there are good guys and bad guys, each easily identifiable, or at least identifiable with a little effort. Rather, when we fast-forward to today, we find an enormous proliferation of websites and blogs accessible through the internet.

Indeed, "proliferation" may be an understatement. There's a veritable explosion of virtual venues that espouse views that we might categorize as situated on either side of that chasm. That veritable explosion has complicated matters - especially, from what I can see, on the right-conservative-traditional-orthodox side of things. If you had never experienced the trouble we Catholics have getting along with each other, spend some time with those purportedly "authentic" Catholic websites.

Having been somewhat familiar with Church history (for a layman), the tendency to bicker isn't so shocking - even amongst Catholics faithful to the traditional teachings of the Church. But the sheer breadth of opinions sometimes can be shocking. Worse, the way those differences are expressed frequently descends into name-calling, ad hominem attacks, taking liberties with the truth, even outright lies. And we're not even considering those who openly contradict and oppose traditional understanding of the Church's teachings and rituals.

It's a veritable war being fought online between Catholics, starting with the obvious parties, but involving those who you would think agree - or at least ought to agree - with each other. (Imagine if the U.S. had descended into Civil War even as we were fighting the Germans and the Japanese during World War II.)

Frankly, having bumped into some of these - more or less unintentionally - I don't get why some of us spend any time with them. That's especially the case on a Sunday - The Lord's Day, a Day of Rest. 

I can't - and won't - tell you what to do. Maybe you find the scribbling and screeching stimulating. Whatever. But maybe we can simply repeat: The Lord's Day...A Day of Rest. Of all days to avoid the contention (to put it mildly), Sunday would be that day. Indeed, Sunday is the one day we might all consider avoiding the Catholic online wars. 

Peace be with you.