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We can't know what's in Mel Gibson's heart, but he appears to be a devout Catholic who prefers the Tridentine Mass.

Cardinal Mahony, though deserve our respect because of his office, has not proven to be a solid shepherd of the faith. He doesn't allow any of his priests to celebrate the Tridentine Mass, and I personally think this is wrong, but it is his perogative.

I think it's telling ... "by their fruits you will know them" ... that the Los Angeles diocese is losing seminarians; St. John's is closing which used to be one of the largest seminaries. The priests under the Cardinal have moved sharply left and have made many statements that can only be seen to be against the faith. While we don't know why God has allowed this, we know there is a reason. Perhaps the young priests coming up through the ranks will bring about a spiritual renewal, with our prayers and the intercession of saints. I can only speak from personal experience, but the young priests I have met or heard speak are very devout and orthodox.

I don't like the term "traditional" because I consider myself quite traditional, without opposing Rome, and I do enjoy and receive much from the Novus Ordo mass. I try my hardest to adhere to the teachings of the Church, including contraception, abortion, divorce, etc. In that sense, I am traditional. But I don't think the Church is suddenly wrong in my lifetime because Vatican II gave us the Novus Ordo. The problems stemming from Vatican II were not the documents, but the interpretation among the less faithful priests and laity who took them to be documents of license. I believe JPII has done much to try and fix some of the damage.

Whatever the reason for the church scandals, Vatican II, or any other problems the church is facing, we must all understand that ALL of this was allowed by God, therefore He has a reason we simply don't understand.

God bless.

I am not catholic, but have always followed the religion and read many of its authors. One of them, Malachi Martin wrote a great book, called 'Windswept House" which discusses the infiltration of the church by evil and the rise of an underground catholic church in America where it seems to be most rampant. Look at all the sexual abuse in the church and the knocks the church is taking because of it. How clever of the devil to infiltrate the church and corrupt it, thereby turning good people away from the church. I feel it is the churche's own fault for letting things go on so long. Malachi Martin knew of it years and years ago. The church should have done it's own housecleaning years ago. Now it is being done in public. I like the pope myself. I don't understand everything, but as a non-catholic I just take what I like and learn from it.

Stop making everything so black and white and discussing things endlessly. Mel is my new hero for what he is doing. It will benefit all churches and all people of good intentions, that want to find God.

I don't like the term "traditional" because I consider myself quite traditional, without opposing Rome, and I do enjoy and receive much from the Novus Ordo mass. I try my hardest to adhere to the teachings of the Church, including contraception, abortion, divorce, etc. In that sense, I am traditional.

Me, too. Before I knew about the "traditional" and the "Liberal" and the "conservative" labels that are so divisive in the Church, when someone quizzed me on my "degree" of Catholicism, I used to say "well, I'm kinda traditional... I miss the smells and bells and kneeling and Communion on the tongue and nuns in habits and altar kneelers and the tabernacle on the altar under a crucifix and altar boys, and the beautiful Catholic music and some Latin, etc., etc.

Now I just say "orthodox" and by that I mean what you said. Too sad that we have to put ourselves in some kind of category.

I didn't know Mahony forbid the indult. That is so not surprising, sadly.

Yes, the documents of Vatican II have certainly been hijacked and misused to cause confusion. And separated from the Magisterium as the interpreter by the progressive faction bent on doing what is "best" for the laity and acceptable to non-Catholics.