Was the change right? Not the way it was done, IMO. Even as a kid, I could see things were different from week to week, and I didn't like it because it caused confusion. Should we do the same thing in reverse... no, I don't think so. What a disaster that would be! I can't find anyone to attend the Tridentine with me... and ours in Boston is beautiful - an old, unchanged parish... beautiful choir with the Gregorian Chant... good priests... and I can't find a soul interested in attending - even among my older relatives and even when I offer to drive. A lot of people in my parish know I take the ride to attend the Tridentine... and I can't find an interested person.
I love the Mass on EWTN... it would be wonderful to have a Mass said in English that is faithful to the Latin, although keeping some of the Latin in place. Chuck the touchy feely "new" Mass music and reinstall the older songs (and I notice a lot more of us sing the beautiful older songs - hardly anyone sings the newish ones).
But, look around at your N.O. Mass. The Our Father hand holders and arm extenders are old... just like those militant nuns and *some* priests... Then read that book "The New Orthodox" by COlleen Carroll.... I think things will be much better for the next generation. Much more stability.
I'll check out the book Colleen. Thanks for the recommendation. But I have to tell you I'm less optimistic.
It's nice hearing from people in good orthodox parishes. But my own experience has been worse. I have belonged to 6 different parishes in my adult life. Each one has been more "progressive" than the next. Though more conservative in general outlook than the previous generation, I'm not seeing much orthodoxy among younger Catholics. I'm seeing simple abandonment of the Faith. I'm not sure this is even intentional on their part. They may be rejecting out of ignorance rather than intent.
Here's a related anecdote: When I sponsored by wife through RCIA classes, I had to sit through so much heterodox nonsense I couldn't believe it. In fact, if I heard someone else telling about all the things being taught in the classes I sat through I'd think I was hearing quite a bit of exagerration. Statements about how the Catholic Church wasn't too different than Protestant churches, a priest instructing the class that confession was no longer required by the Church, a student being reprimanded for suggesting the class learn to pray the rosary. On every issue where someone asked for clarification about the Catholic Church versus a Protestant position, the class instructor (either the religious education instructor or the assisting priest) refused to clearly state a difference between Catholicism and Protestantism. I always spent one or two hours after the class blowing off steam and correcting all the errors taught to my wife with the help of a Catechism (a book never even mentioned in the RCIA classes). My wife's constant criticism was that she had already been a Protestant, and if that's all the Catholic Church was offering, why should she bother to convert?
Incidentally, the woman in charge of the RCIA program was also in charge of Religious education of all the children in the parish - both the school and CCD classes. This occurred at one of the largest parishes in my archdiocese. We selected it after moving there because it was actually more orthodox then several others we visited.
This experience made me think we may have a larger problem than we realize. Regardless of orthodox intentions in the next generation, how will true orthodoxy return to a Church when Catholic children and converts are never taught about it in the first place? How many young Catholics are even truly Catholic, in the sense that they accept the teachings of the Church as explained in the Catechism - a book many of them have never even seen? How many reject the Faith without even realizing it, encouraged in their dissension by heterodox religious educators?
There may be entire dioceses, perhaps even entire countries, who are not being instructed in the Catholic faith. A resurgence of orthodoxy may not be enough to correct the problem. Someday soon, in places currently thought to be within the Church, we may literally need missionaries to re-establish the Faith.