Discerning a Priest’s Orthodoxy

Have you ever gone to Mass and listened to a new priest who left you feeling confused? At first glance, he seems orthodox, but there is something just a bit off. You can’t put your finger on it right away but those recesses in your brain where the Catholic red flags lie are going crazy. This has been happening to me more and more as a new crop of priests trickles out of modernist diocesan seminaries.

An Orthodox Priest?

Maybe I was just new to the Faith and didn’t have a good grasp on the Church’s clerical landscape, but a few years ago it seemed easier for me to tell priests apart. I could listen for five minutes and it was clear. I was dealing with either father heretic or father orthodox. Recently I’ve been noticing a new type of priest. He is able to mask his modernism with small touches of tradition in an attempt to appeal to all and at the same time not ruffle any feathers. We can call him father chameleon.

This new type of priest is interesting. At first glance, he seems very orthodox. He speaks slow and thoughtfully, even wears his collar when in the rectory. The Novus Ordo mass he offers is often more reverent than what we are accustomed to attending. You might even catch him singing the mass occasionally. But in due time, and after some digging, that outer shell can be penetrated and you will see that his orthodoxy does not run very deep. As the liturgical calendar passes into those uncomfortable times you might even discover he has a lot in common with father heretic.

People- Pleasing

Father chameleon plays a delicate game. He tries to be all things to all people because the number one priority is not offending anyone. I mean, maybe Jesus once in a while but definitely not any of the parishioners.

A perfect example of his people-pleasing is the mass he offers. It can be a hodgepodge, mixing the old and the new. The vestments are sharp, he added in some Latin prayers, things are going good. Then wait for it, yes the girl altar boys and fifteen Eucharistic ministers storm the sanctuary. The sermons are no less an amalgamation of heterodoxy mixed with a tinge of truth. You will sit there hearing the endless droning on about St. Faustina and the divine mercy of God. He won’t finish the thought though and get into those scary parts of her diary where our Lord talks about those who ignore His offer of mercy will face His justice. That’s just too shocking for these folks.

Tell the Truth

Telling the whole truth might make people feel uncomfortable and that’s unacceptable. Especially at an inopportune time like right before the collection. He needs to keep those people feeling happy and gratified so there is no obstacle between those checkbooks and the collection plate.

The contradictions swirl. This mix of liberalism sprinkled with a pinch of tradition should be making your catholic radar go haywire. An internal warning alarm should be sounding in your soul, “alert, alert, something contrary to the faith is being taught.”

These priests are so dangerous because instead of challenging the faithful as our Lord did to “go and sin no more” (John 8:11) they give parishioners the impression that should the end come this very second no one would be outside salvation. This is where the real peril lies. Priests telling everyone what they want to hear, confirming them in their sin, is no service to God or the faithful. Ultimately that is not their priority. The main desire is human respect.

This type of priest craves those pleasant moments at the end of mass filled with handshakes, smiling faces, and praise from the old women. As long as the money keeps rolling in and the people are happy he might even get that sought after pat on the back from his bishop.  These dangers and pitfalls the faithful face from priests are real. We must be on guard against false teaching and wolves in sheep’s clothing.

It is imperative that we encourage each other to study the bible, catechism, and read the works of the saints. As I read more from the saints I can feel a deeper sense of what being Catholic means. Although the saints use different languages and approach God from different individual perspectives the same veins run through all their work. God is the King of Kings, majestic, loving, and merciful. We need to order our lives against sin to glorify Him and save our souls. As all this material from the saints soaks in, it creates in your mind a sense of armor. This is what will protect your soul against the arrows being shot at you by father heretic and chameleon. As the arrows clang off your armor you will start thinking, “gosh something is not right here.”

St. Paul in his letters beats on the drum of orthodoxy. He is always warning the Churches to be on guard against people preaching a false Gospel. “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be anathema!” (Galatians 1:8). Let’s keep that in mind when our Catholic radar starts pinging.