This essay has for a goal to put under light a cause of problems in social relations, by trying to discover some motivations at the root of human acts. When analyzing these actions and reactions, we understand that we can group them in three categories: Those of “pragmaticism”, “legalism”, and “realism”.

1 - The Three Categories In General

The “pragmatic” or liberal man always minimizes truth: He never gives a word the same definition. For him, there is theory, and there is practice; the former contradicting the latter. There is no absolute truth; is true only what succeeds, what works. Neither is there an absolute Good. Liberty doesn’t depend anymore upon good, but rather good is subjected to the notion of liberty. Pragmatics disfigure the notion of good. They would say: “You’re seeing evil where there’s none”; or: “The end justifies the means.” In continual rebellion against the transcendental notions of good and truth, their lax conscience always extends the limits of the morally permissible, to the benefit of their egotism. This way of seeing things, where only results and efficiency matter, allows the “pragmatic” man to name vice virtue, and virtue vice.

The “legalistic” or obtuse man seems to be closer to the truth; indeed his ideas correspond to some truths, but he is not able to evaluate them according to concrete circumstances. He has an obtuse, a narrow mind, lacking depth and penetration. He doesn’t know how to adapt his ideas to reality, to the ever-changing aspects of everyday life. Prisoner of a catalogue or list of truths, he is not able to adapt. At the time of Our Lord Jesus Christ, this man was called Pharisee. Moreover, he has compartmentalized Truth under numerous sets of rubrics, of rigid data and “laws”. For him, distinctions, let alone mystery, don’t exist. Everything must be black or white.

Full of himself, from the top of his ivory tower, the legalistic man judges the qualities and defects of his fellow men. Not caring for anyone, he asks everyone to render him an account for what they do. He is the only one never to make mistakes. But he forgets the law is for the common good, i.e. that of man living in society. He also doesn’t realize that law is not an end, but a means. Indeed, what makes something good or evil is not the law, contrary to what legalistic minds may think (For example, in the USA some people believe that in as long as abortion is legal, then it is also moral).

The “realistic” man, or the man of distinctions, has the happiness to appreciate the transcendent truth and good that are reflected in the whole of Creation. This man judges things with the proper distinctions, and with charity. The virtue of justice helps him to give everyone what is his due. All that exists is but the mirror of God’s Glory. The neighbour’s defects and qualities constantly remind him of God: He knows the origin of man, nothingness, and also his fragility in relation to evil. On the other hand he also knows that all that is good and true comes from God, the one WHO IS. Outside of God all is dust, but what is beautiful in Creation has the “Made in Heaven” mark on it. The realistic man uses both truth and good principles to orientate himself in the multiple circumstances of life, using the virtue of prudence.

Briefly

The “pragmatic” or “legalistic” man doesn’t cease to desecrate truth and good, by the simple fact of pondering them; the legalistic or obtuse man imprisons in his narrow mind the greatness and depth of them. But the man of distinctions, or the “realistic” man, adheres to truth and good as they are reflected in Creation; he understands they cannot be separated and are the foundation of the common good of society. Led by the virtue of prudence, he remains faithful to principles, while being able to adapt to the concrete circumstances of life.

2 - The Three Men And The Crisis Of The Church

It is now time to apply these thoughts to the present crisis of the Church, and to the way three groups of persons were formed with respect to Vatican II. Obviously “omnis comparatio claudicat” (any comparison is liable to fail somehow). It is not my purpose here to describe each individuals of each group, that would be way too simplistic. But I mean to show a special tendency in each of the groups.

The “pragmatics”

When we analyze the Society of St-Peter, the Indult people, the neo-conservatives, and other people of the same trend, we can discern in them the liberal or pragmatic tendency. It renders these people unable to accept the contradiction, which the Mystery of Iniquity in the Church forces us into: a Pope that seems to do the work of the Devil. The “pragmatic” guy prefers to enjoy some privileges that seem to favour his apostolate, or to benefit himself in some ways, and he doesn’t really care about the combat for the Faith.

	The Traditional Mass

In want of a strong theological formation, especially with regards to the dogma of the Papal Infallibility, he holds a position that is often the result of a disordered sentimental attachment to the holders of authority. He prefers compromises to truth.  These “Rallied” are not ready to pay the price to remain on the side of the truth, they prefer to be on the “legitimate” side; they prefer a kind of truth that will not isolate them, cut them off the world’s sympathy, that world which Our Lord didn’t pray for. They’d rather agree with men than to seem being illegitimate. It is easy to say the Mass of St Pius V with the so-called “good” conscience of not being excommunicated, and of even keeping the traditional doctrine. Unfortunately, the fact his they have thrown away their weapons in the fight for Tradition, in the battle against religious liberty, that conciliar theory that gives individual conscience a free ride, and that makes of Religion a simple object of personal choice.

The “legalists”

On the other end of the spectrum, sedevacantism reflects the best the legalistic or obtuse man. This man goes around, a briefcase in his hands that is filled with a set of definitive ideas that cannot vary, even in the light of the concrete world. Reality is what must bend to fit the mould of his abstract concepts, without any possibility for their adaptation to reality. He prefers to say that the New Mass is invalid, that there is no Pope on the See of Peter, rather than to be obliged to suffer from the contradiction where the mystery of the evil in the Church would put him in. Here again we find a lack of understanding of the theology of Papal Infallibility, and a disordered emotional reaction to some bad acts from the Pope. Now, let us give an example of the sedevacantists’ lack of realism: In 1972-1973, Archbishop Lefebvre was allowing seminarians who could not go to a traditional Mass during their summer vacations, to go to the New Mass. Later on, in view of the ever more evident nasty effects of the so-called Paul VIth Mass, he would advise them not to take an active part in them anymore. The “obtuse” didn’t lose time accusing the Archbishop of contradicting himself, but Mgr. Lefebvre was simply using the virtue of prudence, that virtue which ponders all the circumstances before to make a practical decision.

The “realists”

The SSPX and friendly communities and clergy are better represented by the man “of distinctions”. Looking at Rome which less and less pour forth the light of Supernatural Truth, and which is more and more obscured by the darkness of errors, Traditionalists continue to see the face of Christ, but a face like that on the Holy Shroud of Turin: Swollen and stained by the strikes and spats of Jewish and Roman authorities. They know it is still the Church they are looking at, and that she is occupied by individuals whose ideas shadow her, and render her inept to govern the Lord’s fold in all things. If the Holy Father wants to accept traditional faithful as full members of the Church, it will have to be without harm to Truth: Rome must find the way back to Tradition, without keeping with her any of the agnostic or heterodox novelties she is actually fond of. Otherwise she is not going to be able to recognize that portion of her sheep that is warning her that the wolf is inside the fold, and which she had expelled for that very reason.

Summing up

Amongst the three trends that divide those who declare themselves faithful to the Church of Always, it seems the true champions of integral Tradition, are better represented by the “realist” label. Indeed, they don’t want to sacrifice principles, nor do they refuse to consider the concrete circumstances in their decision-making: They use the virtue of prudence. The obtuse or “legalistic” people are prisoners of rigid ideas and abstract principles, they lack theological knowledge, and they react emotionally to the evils that afflict the Church. The liberal or “pragmatic” persons are opportunists, they look mainly for results, and they also are lacking in theology and let their emotion guide them in their judgment on the crisis of the Church.

Conclusion

We hope to have shown how we must be alert to discern the diverse moods and trends that can attract us into an erroneous decision on a human and social level, as well as about how best to continue the fight for Truth. “Pragmatics”, while downplaying truth and good, seek for efficiency, misreading the reality of the crisis. “Legalists” are disconnected from reality and live in a bubble of principles. The attitude of both sides pushes their adherents to opposite extremes, the first group by their contempt to objective truth and good, and the second group by their clinging to that “letter of the law that kills”. We should not be pragmatic like the “Rallied”, nor legalistic like the “Sedevacantists”. Let us avoid both pitfalls by our being men “of distinctions”, using the virtue of prudence and having a good understanding of Papal Infallibility. Also, we must avoid being led by our emotions. The Mystery of Iniquity is today at its summit, and we must hold both the chain of Yesterday’s Tradition and that of Today’s Church. As Our Lord on the Cross, we will be stretched out doing so, but God is the one holding the missing link. Let us trust in His Wisdom and in His Infinite and Merciful Love.