Retaking The Catholic Church

I have been asked to write a short and concise battle plan for retaking the Catholic Church for traditional orthodoxy, and saving it from the crisis that is currently unfolding. The battle plan is simple and easy to follow. Victory is assured for those who follow it, both in their personal lives (short term) and reclaiming Catholicism as a whole (long term). If we will simply follow the battle plan, we can’t lose, neither personally nor corporately. Here it is…

1.) Pray the Rosary every day. If you don’t know it, learn it. Then pray at least five decades every day. It’s best to use the original 15-mystery plan given by St. Dominic. The 20-mystery plan (extra 5 Luminous mysteries) given by St. John Paul II is okay, but can be a little confusing for those just getting started. I recommend sticking with the time-honored tradition of 15 mysteries of St. Dominic, before jumping to the more complicated 20 mysteries of St. John Paul II.

2.) Join a traditional Catholic parish. Seriously, you’re going to have to get out of your comfort zone and just join one, even if it means you have to drive an hour just to go to Mass. I realize there are some Novus Ordo (Ordinary Form) parishes that are reverent and orthodox (see example here). We call these types of masses “Unicorn Mass” because they are so rare, most Catholics could go their entire lives without ever seeing one. If you have one near you, support it. But for the most part, most Catholics will have to go to one of the following…

• Traditional Latin Mass (Vetus Ordo or Extraordinary Form); you can locate one approved by the Holy See by clicking here. This is the most widely available traditional Catholic liturgy and it it beautiful!  If you choose this mass, get your English/Latin Missal here, you’re going to need it.
• English Patrimony Mass (Divine Worship or “Anglican Use”); you can locate one approved by the Holy See here: North America, United Kingdom, Oceania. If you’re not into Latin, this is a great alternative. Many Catholics look to this form of traditional liturgy because it’s an easy transition and follows the basic format of the Novus Ordo Mass. One can easily slide right into a Divine Worship Mass and pick it up with no difficulty at all. It’s always celebrated in Sacred (or prayerbook) English. If you choose this mass, get your accompanying prayerbook here. You don’t need it, but it’s nice to have.
• Eastern Catholic Mass (Divine Liturgy); you can locate one approved by the Holy See here: North America, United Kingdom, Australia. There is no prayerbook or missal that can help you with this mass. It is beautiful. Nothing but time and repetition will help you adjust to it.

Roman Catholics can meet their Sunday obligation by attending any of the above parishes. We can also receive communion in any one of these above parishes. Furthermore, membership is available to all Roman Catholics in these parishes. One does not need to change rites to become a member of the above parishes. I can’t stress this enough. If you’re not part of a traditional parish (of some type) you’ve already lost. You’re basically trying to be an island in the middle of a hurricane. You need the support of other conservative Catholics, and you need the Eucharist served in the most reverent way available, as well as good homilies from a good priest. It’s not that it’s impossible to make it on your own in a Novus Ordo parish, it’s just that it’s really, really, really, really, really hard.

3.) You need to understand what’s happening, how we got here, and where we are going. For this reason I’m going to recommend two books, which you should buy, read and keep in your home. The first is Infiltration by Dr. Taylor Marshall. The second is Christus Vincit by Bishop Athanasius Schneider.They should both be purchased together, and I highly recommend you read Infiltration first, followed by Christus Vincit second. Dr. Marshall lays out the origins and nature of the problem in Infiltration. This book is overwhelming but necessary. Bishop Schneider spells out the battle plan and proper attitude toward it all in Christus Vincit. This book is more uplifting. Both books are necessary, but should be read in that order. Infiltration is first. Christus Vincit is second.

4.) Strictly use the Baltimore Catechism #4 and RSV Bible in your home. These are the best sources of Catholic catechesis and Scripture in the English-speaking world.

5.) Do not concern yourself with talk of schism, or apostasy in Rome, or any such matter. Rather, just practice the above and trust that it will all work out in the end.

Shane Schaetzel is an author of Catholic books and an Evangelical convert to the Catholic Church through Anglicanism. His articles have been featured on LifeSiteNews, The Remnant Newspaper, Forward in Christ, and Catholic Online. You can read Shane’s books at ShaneSchaetzel.Com