I was content enough yesterday to leave my post about the standby statements from the Diocese of Charlotte and Bishop Martin well enough alone, but there’s more, and I think it needs discussed.
There is a third page of standby statements. Titled “Implementation of TC will cause people to withhold their giving to the Church,” this gem gives priests new ammo to spiritually nudge (or guilt-trip) the faithful into line. But here’s the kicker—this isn’t a new problem. Back in 2018, I recorded a podcast titled “Detente with the Devil and Stagnation of the Church,” where I unpacked why traditional Catholics feel like the Church cares about everyone but us. Let’s carve up this latest PR mess with the same forensic scalpel, and see how it ties to a problem I spotted seven years ago.
The Response Playbook: Guilt and Spiritual Busywork
- Spiritual Guilt-Tripping: The diocese frames withholding financial support over the TLM ban as a rejection of “the call of the Holy Spirit.” So, if you’re mad enough to close your wallet, you’re apparently not Catholic enough. Pastoral sensitivity at its finest, folks.
- A Spiritual To-Do List: For those grieving the TLM’s loss, they’ve got a five-step plan: “find the Holy Spirit in the Novus Ordo,” “avoid divisive social media,” and more. It’s like they think a scavenger hunt for grace will fix the sting of gutting their “faith communities.”
Why It’s a Bigger Mess Than Before
This last page just amplifies the diocese’s ongoing fumbles:
- Tone-Deaf Overdrive: Linking financial giving to the Holy Spirit while ignoring the TLM ban’s emotional fallout is like saying, “Sorry we torched your house, but don’t forget the rent’s due!”
- Pointing Fingers (Again): Telling folks to dodge social media “where division is the goal” subtly pins the blame on TLM supporters, not the diocese’s own authoritarian vibe. Deflection 101.
- Mixed Signals Galore: They admit Traditionis Custodes aimed to squash a “growing tide of TLM adherents” questioning the Novus Ordo, yet preach purging “division” from our hearts. Unity through suppression—how’s that going, Bishop Martin?
A Throwback to 2018: Detente with the Devil
Way back in 2018, I argued on The Bellarmine Forum Podcast that the Church has been in a “detente with the devil”—a term I borrowed from the Soviet era to describe a stagnant truce with error. I pointed out how fear of schism lets modernists run the show, driving away 70% of my Catholic school classmates while the Church obsesses over “building bridges” with everyone but traditional Catholics. As I said back then,
“Why is it that us traditional Catholics feel like we’re on the margins? Why aren’t these people building bridges with us? Why aren’t the bishops standing with us dreamers who dream for a day when our Lord is revered the way He ought to be, who dream of a day when just being taught clear catechism, easy things, like communion in the hand, ad orientem Mass, hymns that aren’t gnostic or heretical?”
Sound familiar? The diocese’s latest move—guilt-tripping TLM supporters into giving and telling them to “get over it” by embracing the Novus Ordo—is straight out of that playbook. I also warned, “See, even if the devil’s sitting there at the table with them, nobody will say he’s wrong. That’s the detente within the church.” It’s the same fear-driven nonsense I called out seven years ago: tolerate error, blame the faithful, and pretend it’s all for unity.
Here’s the irony—they claim TC addresses a “growing tide of TLM adherents,” but back in 2018, I noted that growth as a hopeful sign: young Catholics from Gen X and Gen Y, disillusioned by modernist fluff and progressive initiatives towards accompaniment, were flocking to the TLM because they discovered the beauty of the faith. The diocese sees this revival as a problem to crush, while I saw it as the Church’s future. They build bridges with error, and blow up the ones with the faithful. Spoiler: it’s not working now, and it wasn’t working then.
More Sarcastic Questions to Chew On
- If the diocese thinks withholding funds defies the Holy Spirit, are they saying the Spirit only works when your check clears? Does the collection basket now come with a salvation guarantee?
- Are they saying the Holy Spirit was MIA in the TLM, or is this just a slick way to say “get over it” with extra piety?
- Is the social media ban their polite way of begging, “Stop tweeting our failures”? Unity’s tough when the flock’s got a megaphone.
- If they’re so keen on “building bridges,” why not build one to the TLM community? Or does that bridge only go to the margins they pick?
The Takeaway
This “bonus” post, and the detente I spotted in 2018, proves the Diocese of Charlotte’s crisis playbook is a one-way ticket to alienation station. Guilt-tripping the faithful and handing out spiritual homework doesn’t heal wounds, but rather it rubs salt in them. Seven years after I warned about this stagnation, the Church is still sidelining its own dreamers for a mirage of unity. If this is their version of leadership, maybe the real question is: who’s letting down the Holy Spirit here?
Listen to the full 2018 podcast episode here for more on how fear and detente have marginalized traditional Catholics.
This article, More on That Charlotte PR Train Wreck and a Tie to 2018 is a post from The Bellarmine Forum.
https://bellarmineforum.org/more-on-that-charlotte-pr-train-wreck-and-a-tie-to-2018/
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