RedI really (also) like the Machabees post in response to Tony’s article:
http://cor-mariae.proboards.com/thread/4291/internal-sspx-resistance-futile
As with the catholic Roman soldiers who were inside the organization and garrison of the Roman institution, they could not effect the line of thinking handed down to them from their leaders; they were either transferred, expelled, or killed.
Nicodemus could not effect change either being inside. He could only be a ‘secret’ follower of our Lord.
Our Lord was the greatest example of being a ‘red lighter’. While recognizing the appropriate authority, He made the change from being on the outside of the hypocritical environment in order to freely preach the True Faith His Father gave to Him to uphold and to instill in the minds and hearts of the people. To see, hear, and understand our Lord, this required the people to leave the compromised environment also in order to find the Tree of Life.
Such was Archbishop Lefebvre’s faith and leadership to encouraging Catholics to get OUT of the compromising and dangerous environment. Some heeded his wisdom; some did not and then became the worst haters of tradition they said they wanted to hold fast to. There is no such thing as an internal resistance within a den of compromise.
We are not meant to serve an institution over the faith; institutions exist to serve the faith. These neo-priests and people need to find their priorities and hold a conviction on the power of the Cross and not on the power of men.
Not really. Consider Vatican II – it has some elements of Tradition, the bishops were still blinded, but we cannot follow it.
I agree that it is impossible to resist within when the leadership is bad. It may be possible to influence leaders, as did St. Paul, when he resisted St. Peter “to his face”, I suppose. Of course it is the best ideal to join the group most following Tradition, if it is possible to do so. Is it a good idea to support whatever Tradition is practiced by those still blinded, if it falls in your path to do so? Taking normal precautions, of course.