We ask you, urgently: don't scroll past this
Dear readers, Catholic Online was de-platformed by Shopify for our pro-life beliefs. They shut down our Catholic Online, Catholic Online School, Prayer Candles, and Catholic Online Learning Resources essential faith tools serving over 1.4 million students and millions of families worldwide. Our founders, now in their 70's, just gave their entire life savings to protect this mission. But fewer than 2% of readers donate. If everyone gave just $5, the cost of a coffee, we could rebuild stronger and keep Catholic education free for all. Stand with us in faith. Thank you.Help Now >
Don't Exit the Train of Truth!
FREE Catholic Classes
y Matt Abbott
Picture this: The Train of Truth is slowly approaching its destination. But along the way, it makes several unexpected stops. At one stop, a considerable number of passengers exit the train to the left. At a later stop, a smaller -- but still numerically significant -- group of passengers exits the train to the right. And so it goes, as the Train of Truth continues to slowly roll into the sunset toward its final destination.
This, metaphorically speaking, is the situation within Holy Mother Church today. The "Train of Truth" (the Catholic Church) slowly approaches its final "destination" (the end of time and the Second Coming of Christ), but along the way, many of its "passengers" (members of the Church) exit the train to the left (the liberal dissenters) or to the "right" (the schismatic traditionalists). A sad situation, indeed.
Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I., the archbishop of Chicago, has said that "in the Church, there is no liberal or conservative; there is only truth." Thus, it really is a shame that we must speak about the crisis in the Church by using this political lingo. Yet, it is simply unavoidable, for there is no other way of illustrating how the hierarchy -- and especially the Holy Father -- is repeatedly being attacked from both ends of the spectrum.
Certainly the "dissident left" has been the most noticeable problem of the Church here in the United States and Canada. Groups like Catholics for a Free Choice (pro-abortion), Dignity (pro-homosexual lifestyle), New Ways Ministry (also pro-homosexual lifestyle), and Call to Action (pro-every kind of dissent!) have caused -- and are still causing -- considerable damage to Christ's Church by their outright rejection of her most fundamental doctrinal and moral teachings: the male-only priesthood and the objective evil and sinfulness of contraception, homosexual acts, fornication, masturbation, adultery, and abortion.
These modernist dissenters desire a "democratic" church in which they can elect their leaders and in which they can formulate their own teachings. (In other words, they wish to follow their own brand of Catholicism.) And even though they completely reject the true faith, the liberal dissenters desire to remain "in" the Church so they can undermine the Magisterium and thus sow confusion among the faithful.
Wreaking havoc on the other end of the spectrum, we have what I call the "schismatic right": the Lefebvrites (adherents of the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre's Society of St. Pius X), the Feeneyites (followers of the late Fr. Leonard Feeney and his erroneous interpretation of "No salvation outside the Church") and the sedevacantists (who believe that there has been no authentic Pope since Vatican II).
The funny thing about the groups on the "schismatic right" is that none of them actually think they are in schism. They claim to follow Tradition (as they define it, of course) and consider us followers of the "Vatican II" Church to be modernist heretics.
Schismatic traditionalists will attend only the Tridentine Mass because they consider the Novus Ordo Mass to be illicit and an "insult" to our Lord Jesus Christ. They also reject Vatican II altogether and vociferously ridicule John Paul II for his ecumenical efforts and his "heretical" teachings.
So what is the solution to all this? Well, it's really quite simple: Let God be God!
All faithful Catholics can do at this point in time is to remain steadfastly loyal to the Magisterium, continue to learn about and evangelize the true faith to others, and continue to flood Heaven with prayers (especially the holy rosary!). God, in His own time, will intervene in a profound way and correct what so desperately needs to be corrected.
Of course, we have the promise from Christ Himself that the gates of Hell will never prevail against His Church (Matt. 16:18), so rest assured: This train will never stop rolling until it reaches its final -- and glorious -- destination!
(This article originally appeared in The Wanderer.)
Contact
Catholic Online
https://www.catholic.org
IL, US
Matt Abbott - Author, 773 769-6416
mattcabbott@hotmail.com
Keywords
dissent, schism
More Catholic PRWire
Showing 1 - 50 of 4,716
A Recession Antidote
Randy Hain
Monaco & The Vatican: Monaco's Grace Kelly Exhibit to Rome--A Review of Monegasque-Holy See Diplomatic History
Dna. Maria St. Catherine Sharpe, t.o.s.m., T.O.SS.T.
The Why of Jesus' Death: A Pauline Perspective
Jerom Paul
A Royal Betrayal: Catholic Monaco Liberalizes Abortion
Dna. Maria St.Catherine De Grace Sharpe, t.o.s.m., T.O.SS.T.
Embrace every moment as sacred time
Mary Regina Morrell
My Dad
JoMarie Grinkiewicz
Letting go is simple wisdom with divine potential
Mary Regina Morrell
Father Lombardi's Address on Catholic Media
Catholic Online
Pope's Words to Pontifical Latin American College
Catholic Online
Prelate: Genetics Needs a Conscience
Catholic Online
State Aid for Catholic Schools: Help or Hindrance?
Catholic Online
Scorsese Planning Movie on Japanese Martyrs
Catholic Online
2 Nuns Kidnapped in Kenya Set Free
Catholic Online
Holy See-Israel Negotiation Moves Forward
Catholic Online
Franchising to Evangelize
Catholic Online
Catholics Decry Anti-Christianity in Israel
Catholic Online
Pope and Gordon Brown Meet About Development Aid
Catholic Online
Pontiff Backs Latin America's Continental Mission
Catholic Online
Cardinal Warns Against Anti-Catholic Education
Catholic Online
Full Circle
Robert Gieb
Three words to a deeper faith
Paul Sposite
Relections for Lent 2009
chris anthony
Wisdom lies beyond the surface of life
Mary Regina Morrell
World Food Program Director on Lent
Catholic Online
Moral Clarity
DAN SHEA
Pope's Lenten Message for 2009
Catholic Online
A Prayer for Monaco: Remembering the Faith Legacy of Prince Rainier III & Princess Grace and Contemplating the Moral Challenges of Prince Albert II
Dna. Maria St. Catherine Sharpe
Keeping a Lid on Permissiveness
Sally Connolly
Glimpse of Me
Sarah Reinhard
The 3 stages of life
Michele Szekely
Sex and the Married Woman
Cheryl Dickow
A Catholic Woman Returns to the Church
Cheryl Dickow
Modernity & Morality
Dan Shea
Just a Minute
Sarah Reinhard
Catholic identity ... triumphant reemergence!
Hugh McNichol
Edging God Out
Paul Sposite
Burying a St. Joseph Statue
Cheryl Dickow
George Bush Speaks on Papal Visit
Catholic Online
Sometimes moving forward means moving the canoe
Mary Regina Morrell
Action Changes Things: Teaching our Kids about Community Service
Lisa Hendey
Easter... A Way of Life
Paul Spoisite
Papal initiative...peace and harmony!
Hugh McNichol
Proclaim the mysteries of the Resurrection!
Hugh McNichol
Jerusalem Patriarch's Easter Message
Catholic Online
Good Friday Sermon of Father Cantalamessa
Catholic Online
Papal Address at the End of the Way of the Cross
Catholic Online
Cardinal Zen's Meditations for Via Crucis
Catholic Online
Interview With Vatican Aide on Jewish-Catholic Relations
Catholic Online
Pope Benedict XVI On the Easter Triduum
Catholic Online
Holy Saturday...anticipation!
Hugh McNichol
Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.
-
- Easter / Lent
- Ascension Day
- 7 Morning Prayers
- Mysteries of the Rosary
- Litany of the Bl. Virgin Mary
- Popular Saints
- Popular Prayers
- Female Saints
- Saint Feast Days by Month
- Stations of the Cross
- St. Francis of Assisi
- St. Michael the Archangel
- The Apostles' Creed
- Unfailing Prayer to St. Anthony
- Pray the Rosary

One Nation Under God

Pope Leo XIV to Celebrate First-Ever “Mass for the Care of Creation”

Catholic Online AI Open Letter
Daily Catholic
Daily Readings for Sunday, July 06, 2025
St. Maria Goretti: Saint of the Day for Sunday, July 06, 2025
Prayer to the Holy Trinity: Prayer of the Day for Sunday, July 06, 2025
Daily Readings for Saturday, July 05, 2025
St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria: Saint of the Day for Saturday, July 05, 2025
- A Prayer for those who are preparing Children for their First Holy Communion: Prayer of the Day for Saturday, July 05, 2025
Copyright 2025 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2025 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.
Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.