Crisis of Catholic Intellect, and the Devil's Plan for it
When bad catechesis is seen as good theology, and sound theology is rejected, the only winner is the father of lies
A few weeks ago I posted a video encouraging Catholics to pray in their native language rather than defaulting to Latin in private prayer. If you haven't seen that, check it out for reference
The responses were... instructive. Some of it was reasoned, but most of it concerned me. Because there was a lot of echo-chambering, a lot of emotion-over-reason, and a lot of reckless or sloppy “theologizing” that makes me wonder if Catholicism is still the “thinking man’s religion” anymore.
Quae vis Latinae??
(What power of Latin?)
Most of the pushback pointed to the same source: Father Chad Ripperger, and specifically his position that Latin carries a spiritual potency the vernacular simply doesn’t. I’m not sure I agree with that catechesis. But the comments didn’t help change my opinion, they confirmed it.
FUN FACT: I like Fr. Ripperger, I’m not a hater. I’m usually getting stoned for defending him!
The claims in the comments ranged from “the demonic fear the language of Latin” to Satan himself having declared, during exorcisms, that he hates Latin. In other words, because those claims are purported to be true, they justify praying in Latin.
I think that logic is a little wonky, but apart from that, it rests on those claims about Latin being true. To me, the truth of those claims is debatable; so much so that I don’t accept them as truths but merely as possibilities.
But other Catholics are treating them like canon or even doctrine.
