Photo courtesy of G Photography and Films
This next trip around the sun will mark twenty years of writing in the Trad Catholic space. In that time I have seen a lot, and it's kind of amusing how certain patterns will repeat over time. For example, every now and then traditional Catholic discourse gets an outbreak of the "YOU'RE NOT A REAL TRAD!" diatribe. This usually happens after there has been some big setback or divisive event: something bad or controversial happens, Trads get divided on how to deal with it, and disagreement turns to infighting. One faction starts trying to gatekeep the entire movement by insisting that this particular way is the only path forward and they make their position into a purity test—if you refuse to affirm their particular point or strategy or pet issue then you are "not a real Trad."
