Conflict, Traditions, and Tolerance

Conflict has always existed in the Church.  It is, after all, made up of people who are far from perfect.

In the Acts of the Apostles and the New Testament Epistles, considerable time is spent calming conflict in the infant Church.  Even at its start, the Church struggled with its true mission.  One of the first questions that caused conflict was must Catholic’s practice Jewish traditions?

In many respects, times have not changed.  Many people in the Church are still clashing over traditions, be it more modern ones.

For example, I have witnessed heated arguments between people over what is the proper way to receive the Eucharist.  Should one take the Eucharist in the hand, or should the Eucharist only be received on the tongue?

Some of the arguments I have heard during these exchanges are downright silly.  Once I heard someone actually argue that the reason one should take the Eucharist in the hand is because people sin with their mouth.  While this is true, people also sin with their hands.  And when you take the Eucharist in your hand, you then put it in your mouth.  So this argument does not pass the logic test for me.

Be that as it may, the argument was being made forcibly, with conviction and a raised snobby voice.  Needless to say, no one was swayed in this quarrel.  Both parties clung to their respective views of the proper practice.

Who Is Right, Who is Wrong?

So, when it comes to receiving the Eucharist, who is right?  Is it the person who takes the Eucharist in the hand right or the one who receives it on the tongue?  And to complicate matters further, should we be receiving the Eucharist standing or kneeling?

My opinion is that the person who is wrong is the person who thinks he is better than others because of his practice.  This is the sin of pride.

When I hear these arguments, I often ask myself what people think they are going to accomplish?  Is the goal to get people to heaven or is it to get people to worship the way you want them to worship?

Traditions

Although the Catholic Church is universal, it is amazing to learn about the variety of traditions practiced by the faithful across the world.  Around a camp fire, a 19-year-old young man shared with me this link showing six different “families” of liturgical rites in the Catholic Church, and 20 different versions of the Mass.

All of these masses are Catholic, yet all of them are of different traditions.  Some will inspire.  Some may not.  Each, however, offers a unique pathway to Christ.

Keeping this context, should any of these rites or masses be halted . . . especially if they are thriving and bringing people closer to Christ?

Should Ukrainian Catholic Churches stop giving the Eucharist and Precious Blood on a spoon during Mass?  If not, then why demand people stop taking the Eucharistic on the tongue?

Should Ethiopian Catholic Churches stop saying the Mass in the ancient South Semitic language of Geez?  If not, then why would someone demand that a Catholic Church run by the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter stop saying the Tridentine Mass in Latin

Worshiping God using different traditions does not divide the Church.  Severing people from traditions which bring them closer to Christ divides the Church.

Seek First to Understand

In this reactionary (using the traditional definition of the word, not the modern rewriting of the definition) world, void of thought before condemnation, traditions are often torn down before knowing their origins, why they are done, or what they mean.  One should seek first to understand.

Take a common Catholic practice such as genuflecting.  Why do we genuflect?  What does it mean?  How should one do it?

Genuflecting  is a gesture of respect, reverence, and adoration before the Eucharist.  However, even this simple Catholic tradition is poorly taught and is misunderstood.

It is not uncommon to see people genuflecting before an empty alter in Churches when the Eucharistic Chapels are off to the side.  Sometimes people even genuflect to the tabernacle when the red Sanctuary light is not lit (meaning there are no consecrated hosts in the tabernacle).  So people are going through the motions, genuflecting to an empty table or an empty tabernacle, without knowing what they are doing or why.

After going on a retreat, I was challenged to stop engaging in Catholic practices unless I knew why I was doing them.  This was discomforting because I had to first admit that in many cases I did not know what I was doing or why.  Moreover, I had to spend time and effort to actually find out why I was doing what I was doing!

Over time, I found this unfinished challenge very worthwhile.  As I continue to learn about our Faith traditions, I find much joy (and sometimes sorrow) in understanding the origins and meaning.  Sometimes I have changed my practice because of what I learned.

Overall, I found many treasures.  I encourage others to take this challenge as well.

Be Deliberate and Tolerant with Traditions

Becoming a deliberate Catholic takes reflection and soul searching.  It is a lifelong journey.

Moreover, each of us should also be tolerant of traditions and practices that bring others to Christ.  We should be thankful that God has provided many pathways to His Kingdom, even if some of these paths are ones we would never take.