New History of the Trad Movement

'The fight is for Tradition, not for traditionalism.' A new history of the Trad movement from a fellow who denies being a Traditionalist because he is simply a Catholic. 

From One Peter Five

By Aurelio Porfiri

Some have asked me why I wanted to write a book on Catholic traditionalism and what they can find inside my book, The Right Hand of the Lord Is Exalted: A History of Catholic Traditionalism from Vatican II to Traditionis Custodes.

First of all, the subtitle says “a history”, not “the history.” I did not pretend to cover every topic or event because that would make the book into an encyclopedia. Mine was a reasonable reconstruction of many decades of struggles, battles and defeats in defense of Tradition. To do this I had to consider what had occurred long before Vatican II among the Catholic Left. This is because in my view, it is not possible to understand Catholic traditionalism except against the backdrop of Catholic progressivism. Catholic traditionalism is a reaction to a crisis in the Church following these movements of the Left which threw many faithful into chaos.

Another thesis of my book is that we should not speak of “Catholic traditionalism” but of “Catholic traditionalisms.” There are many versions of Catholic traditionalism and from a research point of view it is good to know them all. Of course it is not necessary to agree with each one, even if I have tried to show respect for all because I understand that all are trying to find meaning in a situation of enormous crisis for the Church.

I have also pointed out that traditionalism should not be a new home, because at most it can be an emergency shelter. Professor Roberto de Mattei, who kindly wrote the preface to my book, says that I do not identify as a traditionalist. That is true, but what does that mean? It means that it is enough for me to be called a Catholic and I am fine with Paciano’s phrase, Christianus mihi nomen est, catholicus cognomen. This is because of my experience studying the traditionalist movement for almost 30 years, as a result of which I have become quite suspicious of “professional traditionalists.” Cardinal Robert Sarah, who has a certain popularity in the field of traditionalist Catholicism, has said in the past:

Some people call themselves traditionalist Catholics, and they put a hyphen between the two terms: please, don’t do that anymore. You are not traditionalists, you are Roman Rite Catholics like me or the Holy Father. You are not second-class, or special members of the Church because of your spiritual practices. You are called by God, like all saints, to take your place in the Church and in the world today. If you have not yet left the chains of the traditionalist ghetto, do it today.

I agree with the words of the Cardinal.

But some might ask: what is your problem with the word “traditionalism”? Obviously it is not a problem with Tradition, which I love with great passion and which I have placed at the center not only of my troubled life of faith, but also of my daily actions. My problem is with an “-ism.” I can love the idea of community but not communism, the idea of sociality but not socialism, and I can love females but not feminism. My positions arise precisely from a deep love for Tradition that requires me to deal with my conscience and not to keep quiet about what I have learned in recent years. The fight is for Tradition, not for traditionalism.

Of course, in the book you will find many stories, starting with that of Monsignor Marcel Lefebvre, who is certainly one of the protagonists of the book. But so many names will be found, and it would be too long to list them all here. I tried to be honest and respectful, precisely because I think and believe that this respect can make the book less biased and ultimately make it more helpful.

Those who love Tradition, I believe, should read my book to understand the many battles that have marked the last decades. Those who do not love tradition or who feel comfortable in the camp of Catholic progressivism should not only read it, but also study it, with the hope that they will be able to change their tone and look at the faithful who try to live their faith fully while Peter’s boat is on a stormy sea and Jesus seems to be sleeping.