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.
17 thoughts on “Discerning a Priest’s Orthodoxy”
Yes, indeed; be very vigilant. Watch, listen, observe, take notes and keep a record. After reading this, I thought of how children under communism were trained to spy on their parents. How sad that this is how the author spends his time at Mass. God save us.
We have priests in our dioceses from two seminaries: Mount Angel in Oregon and St. John Vianney in Denver. My experience has been that those from Vianney are as good as it gets outside of ICK, FSSP, SSPX or the Missionaries of St. John the Baptist (KY). Those guys who come of Mount Angel are often very reverent and desirous of truth and orthodoxy but seem to have been given some bad information during formation.
Anybody from the Rockies and perhaps the northwest or southwest observed the same?
Sometimes these signs reach much higher into the hierarchy …
Yes, indeed!
Please teach religion classes (CCD); the Church needs to hear “basic truths”
Hi Richard, I agree 100% it’s time to get back to basics!
Very unfair article that causes more division. It is a balancing act as priests do not hold the authority to make the changes you call heterdoxy. Are they following the Church’s guidance on liturgy? Are they preaching the challenging topics? Then support them, do not cause more division. Many of them get push-back from parishioners, older Priests, and even from the Diocese just for “doing the red, say the black” or wearing Rose and Black vestments. No need to add to it.
Hi Mathius. I think we must be careful what we “support” and consider the impact it can have on the people. In my opinion, there really isn’t a balancing act for the priest. Unless he has an internal conflict desiring human respect which conflicts with his duty to offer reverent worship to God. If that’s the case he has no fortitude and that is a sad state of many priests today. God bless! Thanks for the comments.
I agree with Mathius.
Paul also said, “To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another the expression of knowledge…” Yes, you’re right, some may have little fortitude. If you can’t find one redeeming quality in your clergy, first keep it under your hat, and then try another one of the 17,000 Catholic US churches and 36,000 priests.
“the Lord has given me to build up and not to tear down.” 2 Corinthians 13:10
Hi Christopher. So you should leave your parish to search out clergy who operate within the scope of tradition and reverence? That sounds like the type of logic that contributed to the mess we are in. I’ll stick with what St. Paul speaks often about regarding those who preach a new or different Gospel….. God Bless!
No, I said “if you can’t find one redeeming quality”, but actually I was thinking you should instead look in the mirror…and you proved me right by saying, “the mess WE’RE in” please speak for yourself. I wonder why there are only 1.2 billion members in our one holy Catholic and apostolic church, but your idea of evangelicalization is to put labels on people’s heads.
Christopher, I appreciate your clarification! So according to you there is no problem in the Church. That is interesting…… Now I understand your illogical comment. As far as labeling, people are defined by their actions. There is no harm in classifying or labeling people who operate in similar ways. I’ll fall back on the King of Kings for this one, “beware of false prophets, who come in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves” (Mathew 7:15). Does His labeling upset you?
Pingback: MONDAY EDITION – Big Pulpit
They preach truth, goodness and beauty — as often as not it comes out as platitudes, amicability, and aesthetics. A winsome faith will offend no one and needn’t convert anyone. All squishy cuddly mercy; justice is just mean. To be fair many of the “JPII” and “BXVI” priests really try, but they weren’t given any tools to work with, and many while dodging advances from their classmates. Remember, it was Dolan who wrote the really hopeful “Priests for the Third Millenium.” We were duped.
Altar girls! The first sign of heterodoxy. Even though they’re perfectly ok according to the Church.
A few words of sympathy for brown children forcibly separated at our border! Another warning sign. And a sermon on Matthew and the flight into Egypt!
A few words of condemnation for politicians living corrupt, amoral lives and never apologizing for it! Another sign.
A mention of Matt 25:40! Another sign. Also Luke 14:13, Mark 10:21, Luke 4:18, 1 John 3:17, Luke 12:14, and worst of all, Catechism 2358.
Thank you for the kind words 🙂
I deeply appreciate blogs like this one! It’s like getting to know a lot of spiritually asymptomatic Catholic ministers out there who peddle their new ideas that seem harmless at first but is potent enough to lull anyone into spiritual laxity and lukewarmness.
More power Dan, and God bless you!