A Church drowning in sentimentalism

I remember once hearing a sermon where the priest (I think it was, or it could have been a deacon) was saying something about how one should be joyful about going to Mass, and if one was only going because it was an obligation one might as well not go (it wasn’t put that crudely, but that was what it sounded like). I wish I had had the guts to go up to him and tell him what I thought (not felt): if one isn’t feeling joyful about going but goes anyway out of obedience one is acknowledging:
1)There is a God
2)He should be worshipped
3)He has established a Church and to worship Him in the form He wants us to worship
4)That Church is the Catholic Church

And that is good, not bad. I’m tired of feeeeeeeeelings.

Sentimentality must arise out of weakness; not weakness in arms, but weakness of mind and will. I am reminded of Denethor’s words to Pippin in the Lord of the Ring: “I accept your service. For you are not daunted by words; and you have courteous speech…” We have become a nation daunted by words (i.e. the speaking of truth) yet without courteous voice (when we state our opinions).

My students are similarly counselled to avoid sentimentalism and the tyranny of pseudo-criticism that typically begins with “I feel”.

Sentimentality…started with women…as per Opra…and then my wife…and now my college daughter who will leave the faith over the 2% that have SSA

I wouldn’t watch Oprah if you paid me, and I’m certainly not leaving the Church over people who decide to commit heinous sins because that’s what they’re tempted to do. Unfortunately there are any number of men who are wallowing in sentimental idiocy, too.

Good article overall but the elephant in the room is the liturgy. The ancient Mass promoted awe and reverence in the worship of Holy god and reminded us of the depth of our sin and the greatness, grandeur and majestic love of God for each soul who lived, lives, and will live. The contemporary Mass promotes happy chat, informality, focus on the celebrant and the congregation, and all the rest, including hymns most of which are cringe-worthy, bathetic ploys to engage and indoctrinate through emotion. There are of course exceptions to the rule — the ancient Mass celebrated poorly or coldly, as if the congregants were irrelevant; the contemporary Mass celebrated with reverence, dignity, and awe; but the general fact is this: the culture of the Church and the transmission of the Faith changed dramatically with the imposition of the new liturgy. All the rest, including the topics in this articleC are just consequences.

Sentimentality is the source of Western liberalism and the Vatican, not merely Francis’ Vatican but that of the last several popes, have embraced it and the sloppy ‘thought’ that always accompanies it. Only bitter experience will return the papacy to a state of seriousness and, unless I’m misreading things, politicians around the globe are about to deliver some very bitter treatment to Francis and his cohort. Trump knows Francis favored Crooked, that he may have even contributed to her failed campaign; the leaders of Poland, Hungary, and Italy, among other European states, know that Francis’ advice concerning “refugees” has been catastrophic; the Church in China knows now that the pope’s political decision has thrown them to the Communist dogs. But the winds are now shifting rapidly. Just yesterday, half of South America, namely Brazil, turned at the ballot box against Francis’ globalist sentimentality and elected Bolsonaro. The new president has announced out of the gate that he will relax Brazil’s gun laws and let citizens defend themselves against rampant crime. Poland and Hungary are shutting their doors to Francis’ fake “refugees.” And Trump’s Justice Department is now planning a RICO indictment of many of Francis’ allies in American chanceries; the Vatican itself may find soon some of its past decisions declared criminal in American courts.

As suggested above, there’s nothing like a little reality to cure someone of the sentimentality disease.

I think that we need all three, reason, faith and feelings or emotions, and that they need to be integrated so as to work together and support each other. That integration, coming to wholeness, is the challenge. Emotions are not an effect of original sin that they should be disdained. Our Lord “rejoiced in the Holy Spirit.” He felt sorrow and fear.St. Thomas Aquinas apparently wrote “Being insensitive to our feelings and emotions is a vice.” (IIa IIae Q. 92 A1).
As I wrote, the challenge is to bring all aspects of one’s personhood into unity. Reason, because it is a higher faculty than emotions, is also more dangerous when it is not in accord with faith. Look at the effects of the Enlightenment. Moreover, we speak with good reason of “sentire cum Ecclesia.” And St. Thomas also describes “wisdom,” “sapiencia”, the highest Gift of the Holy Spirit, as “sapida sciencia,” “a sweet-tasting knowledge.”

Great insights. It seems to be the case that along with this Affectus per solam, one also finds a prevalence and usage of the word “like.”

Ex. I feel like you’re being too judgmental and not inclusive.

In a majority of my college classes, this is what one hears and what one has to debate with. It’s a difficult task, for even feelings hold primacy in modern debates.