Hi there!

[Ella S.]

100%, there's a lot of division within the Church- it's not a homogenous situation. I was initally really into the more traditional faction of the Church, but ultimately radtrads were what drove me away from Catholicism.

Yeah, I totally get that. It's a shame that RadTrads seem to be too fervent for their own good sometimes. I can see why the whole appeal of Catholicism could be lost at that point.

After all, the whole draw is that it has a long tradition and clearly-set dogma, right? It can feel pointless when you lose a part of that.

In a way, I think I sort of relate. While I feel more like I joined Gnosticism than left Catholicism, there is something about the Catholic community that just never felt welcoming to me.

I think a lot of it was their obsession with telling people what they're allowed to do in their bedroom, especially where I lived. I just never fully understood what the point of that was or who it was supposed to be helping. Every time I was around Catholics, though, the topic seemed to come up. It just made me uncomfortable.

 

[RJM]

@Modesty
@Ella S.

On the subject of RadTrad, do you have any opinions about Pope Francis’s apparent desire to completely eliminate the traditional Latin Mass?

Pope Francis reverses Benedict
https://www.interfaith.org/community/threads/19793/

 

[Thomas]

In a way, I think I sort of relate. While I feel more like I joined Gnosticism than left Catholicism, there is something about the Catholic community that just never felt welcoming to me.

You're not alone. As an aside, at one point I was thinking of becoming Orthodox. Attended an Orthodox Church, but it was a very Greek community and I patently wasn't Greek, so was looked at as an outsider ... not one welcome, and I'm a nod-n-smile kinda guy ...

I think a lot of it was their obsession with telling people what they're allowed to do in their bedroom

OMG, are we obsessed with that or what?

And don't start me on marriage – Canon Law is such a fudge there, and in places dubious – and, I think personally, in parts refuted by St Paul, who in this instance was far more flexible!

 

[Modesty]

@Modesty
@Ella S.

On the subject of RadTrad, do you have any opinions about Pope Francis’s apparent desire to completely eliminate the traditional Latin Mass?

Pope Francis reverses Benedict
https://www.interfaith.org/community/threads/19793/

I was still semi present in traditionalist circles when this was announced; people were very upset. Unusually for those who lean towards traditionalism, I was never attached to the TLM. I found it incredibly hard to focus when the mass was said in Latin, although I get the arguments for it (reverence, etc.). At this point, I've purposefully detached myself from the Novus Ordo vs. TLM debate, so I have no opinion!

 

[Modesty]

Yeah, I totally get that. It's a shame that RadTrads seem to be too fervent for their own good sometimes. I can see why the whole appeal of Catholicism could be lost at that point.

After all, the whole draw is that it has a long tradition and clearly-set dogma, right? It can feel pointless when you lose a part of that.

In a way, I think I sort of relate. While I feel more like I joined Gnosticism than left Catholicism, there is something about the Catholic community that just never felt welcoming to me.

I think a lot of it was their obsession with telling people what they're allowed to do in their bedroom, especially where I lived. I just never fully understood what the point of that was or who it was supposed to be helping. Every time I was around Catholics, though, the topic seemed to come up. It just made me uncomfortable.

Very much agree with what you're saying about bedroom stuff! For me, the constant discussion of modesty (ironic giving my username haha) really put me off. I interacted with a lot of RadTrads and the constant enforcement of very arbitrary guidelines on how women should dress was distressing. I'm not trying to rag on Catholicism at all, it was important to my spiritual journey and I met so many amazing people through it, but I'm very very happy to be distanced from RadTrad culture haha.

 

[wil]

I'm not trying to rag on Catholicism at all, it was important to my spiritual journey and I met so many amazing people through it,

Yes, Honor thy path! Even wrong turns and dead ends have value, but there are many benefits to our learning lessons, working in community, traveling together....until our paths diverge.