Some so-called Catholic colleges seem to be going out of their way to find liberal dissenters to speak at their commencement exercises. Nine colleges have invited leftist dissenters to defy the Church’s teaching and speak at their graduations. But only two speakers are anyone you might know. The rest are a pack of liberal has-beens that the administrations of these institutions seem to have pulled from the bottom of the vacuum cleaner bag. How else do they find these people? Have you heard of Maria Vullo? How about Paulette Brown? Mary Frances Berry? Of course not. But each is a thumb in the eye of the local bishop, who almost assuredly will do nothing about it. Why not start by picketing the apparatchiks at these schools who make the invitations?
Surprising Analysis of Hookup Culture on Catholic Campuses
Here’s an interesting article on how Catholic colleges with varying degrees of Catholicity fare against the prevailing hookup culture in America. Not surprisingly, the 2017 study finds that Catholic colleges where at least 80% of students identify the college as Catholic have the best resistance. But surprisingly, Catholic colleges where only 75% of students think the college is Catholic have a greater instance of students engaging in illicit sexual activity than those with only a 68% rating. There are some guesses in the article as to why this might be, but the numbers alone are what is most shocking.
You’ll have to follow the links in the article, sub-articles and studies to get down to the details, but here is the sad commentary on the numbers presented. [Note that the definition of “hookup” includes activity that is illicit and sexual in nature but may not involve sexual intercourse.]
1) 7 in 10 college students “hookup” in the US at large.
2) 3 in 10 college students “hookup” on very Catholic campuses (80% of students there think the college is Catholic, plus some other factors)
3) 6 in 10 college students “hookup” on mostly Catholic campuses (75% internal rating)
4) 5 in 10 college students “hookup” on somewhat Catholic campuses (68% rating)
Given the fallen nature of man, it’s not surprising that there is no category where the hookup rate is 0%. But 3 in 10 at very Catholic colleges is sad. If 3 in 10 students at a particular college randomly got free tuition, they would be inundated with applications. If 3 in 10 students had a communicable disease at a particular college, who would apply? 30% is huge. And I wonder how many Catholic colleges are even in the “very Catholic” category….
Is the Latin Mass “Rigid”?
It hasn’t even been 50 years since the Roman Catholic Church changed the Mass from the ancient Latin-based Tridentine form to the Novus Ordo (New Order) of 1969. The principal rationale for the radical change in form was that the Latin Mass was too “rigid”. Pope Francis recently repeated this position in a November 11, 2016 interview with the Jesuit publication Civiltà Cattolica. In contrast, by turning the priest to face the people, saying the prayers in the vernacular, requiring responses from the congregation and adding a handshake, the New Mass was designed to be community-building. It turns out, however, that the New Mass is far more rigid than the Latin Mass, and parish communities that celebrate it appear to be painfully divided.
I was born in 1968 and almost my entire life I attended the New Mass. I even served at the altar from age 8. Recently, however, I was invited to attend the Latin Mass, and after attending now for more than four months, I am struck by how inapposite is the canard that the Latin Mass is rigid. On the contrary, the Latin Mass is very organic and the New Mass suffers from extreme rigidity.
During a celebration of the Tridentine Latin Mass, the people and the priest together face East – the direction associated with the return of Christ. Since the priest does not use a microphone, his position at the altar indicates the part of the Mass that is being prayed. Portions of the Mass may also be sung in Latin by a choir. The people may follow along with a translation of the Mass in their missals, read the inspiring prayers in Latin if they are so inclined, or say other prayers if they wish. In general, there are few responses from the congregation, no one is looking at you, and you are free to assist in the re-presentation of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross in a manner that you choose. Does that sound rigid? One is never truly out of step with the celebration of the Mass – particularly since the position of the priest, and well-timed bells, are always available to turn your attention to the worship at critical points.
In contrast, the New Mass requires lock-step responses from all present, at almost every moment of the Mass. Failure to comply gives one the feeling he has not adequately “participated.” Furthermore, there is little room for private prayer at the New Mass. Since rote responses are almost continuously required, and since the spoken words of the priest and hymns are broadcast with a loadspeaker and readily understood in the vernacular, the mind has no rest to formulate a personal prayer. Such forced participation – which demands continuous attention and response from the congregation – is truly rigid.
I have not polled those who worship at the Latin Mass I attend, but I think it is fairly safe to say they are likely in concurrence on matters of faith and morals – at least if bumper stickers are any indication. On the contrary, priests I know who celebrate the New Mass are regularly accosted after Mass for any thoughts in a sermon or homily that break with the liberal orthodoxy on matters pertaining to sex, the environment or economics. It’s not just matters of prudential judgment either, where disagreement is permissible. How ironic that with its heightened focus on inclusiveness and community, the New Mass has achieved the opposite of what was intended – division and factionalism. In contrast, worshippers at the Latin Mass enjoy the community of a lively and common faith that the Church desired in 1969.