Steve: Your Excellency, thank you so much for your time today. We really appreciate it. I just have a couple of questions for you, the first one being that here at St. Stanislaus and around the world, the traditional Latin Mass seems to be experiencing a revival. To what do you attribute this revival, and why do you think it’s so appealing to young people?
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: The revival of the traditional Mass is, for me, a demonstration of the fact that truth and beauty are attractive. They are self-revealing, and so the traditional liturgy is so filled and imbued with the faith, with the richness of faith and the clarity of faith, the Catholic faith, and at the same time, expresses a deep respect and reverence, an attitude of sacredness and sublimity during the liturgy. This is the traditional liturgy, and these objective qualities of truth, sacredness, and beauty are an expression of the entire Catholic generations which preceded us, beginning with the apostles. The spirit of prayer and faith of the apostles is there, expressing itself in the traditional liturgy in a very clear manner and more expressively than in the new reformed liturgy of the Mass, because the traditional liturgy, in some way, accumulated all the generations, starting with the apostles, with the Holy Fathers of the Church, and with so many saints over 2,000 years.
So it was an expression of prayer and worship guided by the Holy Spirit and the saints, which was proven through two millennia to be a very valid and efficient form of prayer, which countless generations of saints experienced. They lived this liturgy, and it gave them strength and nourished their Christian life and apostolate. For these reasons, objective reasons, of these values and qualities of the traditional liturgy, it is, in my opinion, evidence that this attracts young people, because young people are ultimately seeking the truth. They see in today’s world, in various means of culture, television, the internet, and so on, a lack of truth and a lack of beauty. They are yearning in their hearts and souls to experience this truth and beauty, which comes from God and gives people real freedom and peace, and a desire to love God and worship God in this beautiful manner.
Steve: Yes, thank you. You’ve spoken of a great crisis in the Church today. Do you think that part of that crisis is a result of many people in the Church drifting further away from the traditional liturgy?
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: Yes, it is, of course. Evidently, the crisis of faith and morals in the Church is connected with the crisis of the liturgy. It is a known axiom from the first centuries of the Church, which the Church always observed. This is the following: in Latin, lex credendi, lex orandi. It means the law of faith and truth has to be reflected, lived, and realized in the law of prayer and the liturgy. They are inseparable. The manner in which you believe is the manner in which you have to worship, both interiorly and exteriorly, with your body, gestures, and all the elements of visible and public worship of God.
True faith, the integrity of faith, and the clarity of faith demand an expression in worship that is connected to this faith and reveals it. Similarly, the law of life and morals is connected to faith and to liturgy. These three aspects cannot be divided. When the Catholic faith became less clear in the past 50 years, in some areas of church life or in some ways ambiguous, we witnessed the spreading of errors in the life of the Church and even heresies. This was also reflected in the manner in which the liturgy was celebrated. At the same time, the liturgy was reformed, and the Liturgy of the Holy Mass in some aspects became less clear in relation to the truth, especially the truth of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and in relation to the truth that the Holy Mass is primarily the sacramental celebration of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
These aspects of our Catholic faith appeared in the new liturgy as less expressed and sometimes lacked clarity and integrity. This reformed liturgy, with its deficient elements in relation to expressing clearly the truth about the sacrificial character of the Mass and the Real Presence of Christ, influenced the way people understood and believed the faith. When you behave and make gestures during Holy Mass in a manner that expresses less sacredness, less supernatural and sublime reverence for God, over time, it influences your faith and belief.
This is evident, and another reason why young people fall in love with the traditional liturgy is that they desire to know the entire truth. They are not content with half-truths, which the modern world constantly presents. They see half-truths or even anti-truths and are often deceived by the modern world. In their hearts, they know this and desire to know the full truth. In some way, they are saying to the Church, please tell us the whole truth. Please do not hide anything. Young people are naturally inclined toward heroism. They want heroic things and the full truth.
Steve: In this time of moral confusion in the Church and in society, what would be your advice to young people who are trying to remain faithful Catholics?
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: My advice would be for them to study, to study well the Catechism. They have, or they can find, good catechisms. Especially here in the United States, there is the famous Baltimore Catechism, but also the Catechism of the Catholic Church, or they can study good apologetic books, which are also available. In any case, I advise them to deepen their knowledge of the Catholic faith, because the more you know the Catholic faith, the more you love it, and the stronger you become. In some way, you become immovable. You are strong in your convictions. For this, you will also be ready to give your life. You will not give your life for half-truths or for ambiguity. You will give your life for the truth, and Christ is the truth, His person and His teaching, which the Church has transmitted to us in all its beauty, integrity, and clarity over 2,000 years.
So my first advice is to study the Catholic faith well, personally, using good catechisms. Second, to form groups of study of the Catholic faith among young people, to deepen their knowledge, and to choose a good Catholic priest who is a man of prayer, a man of the Church, a man of faith, and who has good knowledge, to be their counselor and guide them spiritually and theologically.
Of course, it is very important not only to know the faith. Knowledge is not sufficient. We have to live the faith. What you have known and studied, you must live in your personal life through assiduous participation in the sacraments. This is the most essential expression of our Christian life: to live with the sacraments, Holy Confession, Holy Communion, and to participate regularly in the Holy Mass and in prayer.
So first, deepen your knowledge of the faith through study and apologetics. Second, live this knowledge in your life through the sacraments and prayer. Third, engage in some apostolate. I would suggest that young people spread the beauty of the Catholic faith to other young people.
Steve: My last question, speaking of books, do you have a particular book recommendation for our audience?
Bishop Athanasius Schneider: Well, I already mentioned the Baltimore Catechism and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. They are also available on the internet, along with other good apologetic tools. I would also recommend reading the works of Chesterton, for example, which are still very relevant. In apologetics, I would also suggest reading the books or listening to the talks of Archbishop Fulton Sheen, an American bishop who is a servant of God.
I would also recommend reading the biographies of saints, both famous saints and martyrs of old times and modern times, as well as the biographies of confessors of the faith, important persons who defended and loved our faith throughout history. For example, Thomas More’s life is still very relevant today. This helps young people nourish their convictions and be courageous. I wish young people courage. They need more courage. Be courageous. Do not be afraid to say you are a Christian. Do not be afraid to say, I am a Catholic, and I want to be a true Catholic, not half a Catholic, not 30% Catholic. You must desire to be 100% Catholic. This is the example of the apostles and all the saints. Of course, we are not yet saints, but we have to have the desire to imitate them.
Do not forget that you are a member of the militant Church. We are in a spiritual battle against Satan, sin, error, and heresy. This is a very holy battle because God gave it to us, and all our existence here on Earth is a holy battle for the Lord. Be good soldiers of Christ. This is your task. Be humble at the same time, love Christ, and may Christ live in your hearts.
Young people should also pray every day to the Holy Spirit to illuminate their vocation in life, to discern the way they must choose, whether family life or total consecration to God. The family life, to found a family, is the domestic Church. This is a beautiful vocation for the majority of young people, to establish a Catholic family. It is the most beautiful contribution, even in today’s crisis. The other vocation is to be entirely consecrated to God, promoting truth and faith, whether as a priest, religious, or dedicated consecrated person in the world. These two paths, the domestic Church and total consecration, belong together and edify the Church. They depend on each other.
I wish young people a burning, fervent heart to love Christ, who is the truth, our way, and the source of true life. Ultimately, remember that in all our battles and crises, Christ is the winner. As the Catholic identity song says, Christus vincit, Christus regnat, Christus imperat; Christ is the winner always. Christ is our King, and Christ rules us. I wish all young people to be good soldiers of Christ, to believe, and to act as if we are already with Christ. When we are with Christ, we are the winners. Be good soldiers of Christ.
Steve: I love that message. Thank you, Your Excellency. We really appreciate you being here today. Thank you. Bye.