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Thursday 7 November 2013

I cannot express how good this book is

Father Chad Ripperger's book The Binding Force of Tradition should be read by every Catholic over the age of 14. This important book would help all of those who are struggling with how to understand the teachings which have broken with Tradition and how to deal with Modernism in the Church.

I can only cover a few points, in summary, but will do so for the benefit of those who will not get the book. I hope it tempts you to do so.

Firstly, Fr. Ripperger, as I have, squarely puts the onus of responsibility for passing on the Faith on the parents, which is what I have been writing since 2007. Father states that there is a sin of negligence in not passing on the Faith by parents who assume that "the members of the Magisterium and clergy would" do so.

As he and many popes have said, "The parents are the first educators of their children, and even though they should be able to rely on the Hierarchy to provide the proper education of their children, it does not take away their obligation to ensure that it is in fact being passed on to their children."

The breaking away from the tradition of the Church and not passing it on either as teaching or in the Liturgy is a grave sin of negligence.

I want to quote a longish section here.

"....in passive tradition when one receives the tradition regularly, a set of habits is established in the children, among the faithful and even among ecclesiastics, resulting in a recognition that tradition is a good thing and it becomes a joy, regardless if part of what is received is a discipline that requires self-denial. Our current generation, however, is in the habit of novelty and that is why tradition is so difficult for many of them, because the tradition is not just a thing, but an action, i.e. it is a way of living. Novelty ultimately militates against virtue because it does not seek good habits but intellectual or appetitive  delight in the new thing."

I have given talks in the past and written on this blog on the need for formation in children at a young age regarding virtues. Without a basis in the Tradition of the Church, the youth are lost.

To be continued....