A Powerful Conversion Story: The Traditional Latin Mass Led Him Into the Church

Protestant seminarian finds home in Catholic Church through social media connection

I remember a friend once telling me about a man she was dating. He attended RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) and did, indeed, become a Catholic if my memory serves. They didn't end up getting married, but my friend told me how he responded to the classes. "It's not much different from my Protestant faith." 

What does that say about the instruction? Nothing good!

It reminded me of a couple running the RCIA program at my former parish years ago. They described how they ignored the controversial issues that divide us from Protestants, like contraception and devotion to the Blessed Mother. They focused on those things that we held in common and ignored the troublesome issues. Talk about acting like rice bowl Catholic evangelists. "We'll give you the pleasant part of the truth so you're more likely to become a Catholic." 

Think about that for a minute. Isn't that the synodal way? Isn't that the Novus Ordo (NO) way? When Bugnini butchered the Mass he said he wanted to remove any shadow of a stumbling block for our separated brethren. That meant watering down the nature of the Mass as a sacrifice in atonement for sin, replacing it with a ceremonial meal. The consilium that gutted the Mass also reduced the idea of the ministerial role of the priest substituting the idea of him being the president of the assembly. Finally they blurred the reality of Transubtantiation, the bread and wine becoming HIM, the Real Presence of Jesus Christ. Is it any wonder that most Catholics no longer believe the central teaching about the Mass?

The more I compare and study the two forms of the Roman Rite, the more I see how we were robbed. It also makes me understand why the faith is being systematically lost. When the books describing the rubrics (or rules) for how to celebrate the Mass describe the "altar" of sacrifice as a "table" and turn the priest into the host of the meal facing his guests instead of the essential minister of the sacrifice leading the people to God facing Him, why should the flock continue to believe that Jesus is really re-presented in the unbloody sacrifice of Calvary? It's just a memorial meal to share memories of Jesus and celebrate his life. Hang up the risen Christ and forget all that blood and gore.

We are living in challenging times. I believe part of the solution is to return to the Mass of the ages that made so many saints out of sinners. My husband and I are reading The Last Mass of Padre Pio. The Padre personally requested an indult from Pope Paul VI to never have to say the NO. He received it and, by the mercy of God, died in 1968 before full implementation of the new Mass in 1969 which he considered a "catastrophe."

 I will be sharing some passages from the book in future posts. 

And for a bit of irony. Actually, Archbishop Lefebvre echoed Padre Pio whom he had met. He asked for the Padre's blessing at their meeting. Padre Pio responded by asking for the archbishop's. He was always known for his humility.

I recommend the book. Reading it alongside Lex Orandi, which compares the two forms of the Roman rite, is eye-opening.