Customer Reviews

The Smoke of Satan: Conservative and Traditionalist Dissent in Contemporary American Catholicism

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is misleadingly titled: the "smoke of Satan" comes from a statement by Paul VI lamenting the radical abuses which multiplied in the bosom of the Church in the 1970's, and did not refer to either the fairly marginal groups which occupy most of the book or the conservative ones which are detailed in two of its chapters. Far from being "the smoke of Satan," one would imagine that groups like Catholics United for the Faith (who supported Humanae Vitae and also held their noses and attended the New Mass) would be welcomed by Paul VI. The title also speaks of dissent, a label which does not really apply to many of these groups: the conservatives represent a position diametrically opposed to dissent and the various sedevacantist and mystical movements have generally removed themselves from the Church - they are not dissenters within it. Only Fr. Gruner and his Fatima Crusade could be accurately described as dissenting. This categorical inaccuracy betrays the author's prejudices: his introductory description of pre-conciliar Catholicism is tendentious at best. Could the Catholic Church of the 1950's really be considered "spiritually vacuous" compared to the banal consumerism of wider American society? Could Catholic schools really have offered a "second-rate education" in comparison to the public schools? These propositions are both laughable and telling. The cynical indifferentism of the opening chapter sets the tone for the rest of the book. The book is, finally, more of a work of teratology than sociology. Most of the groups it describes have no influence within the wider Church and they grow more withdrawn from it every day. Yet there are other groups which, although not as entertainingly demented and titillating as the Bayside and St. Jovite groups, are much larger and more influential. Conservative and traditionalist groups like Opus Dei, Legatus, the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, Roman Catholic Faithful, the Coalition in Support of Ecclesia Dei, Christifideles, Una Voce International, CIEL, the National Association of Catholic Home Educators et al.,are much larger and influential than E. Michael Jones' Fidelity for example, but Jones' publication has a meatier, more tabloidesque flavor, so his magazine is given a starring role. There are a plethora of new orders in America which are based around the preconciliar liturgy - the Fontgombault Benedictines of Nebraska, the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, the Order of St. John and several more - but any description of these validly ordained and professed priests and monks is eschewed in favor of dubious, do-it-yourself fringe organizations. The net effect of this book is to marginalize a large and growing number of loyal traditionalist Catholics in their twenties and thirties who represent the mainstream of Catholic reaction to the Second Vatican Council. Instead we are given the exploits of aging "antipopes," many of whom founded their organizations well before the Council was convened. This book is an interesting read, and its subjects are treated respectfully - but it fails in the task it sets for itself: to accurately describe the reaction of American Catholics to postconciliar changes they found abhorrent.

St. Augustine once commented that it is pointless to try to understand so as to believe in Christianity, that rather one must believe in order to understand. Michael Cuneo has made his unbelief and lack of understanding of Christianity quite clear in this book. For him, Catholics and struggling Catholic-at-heart people, trying to make out the best of a horrid ecclesiastical situation are but exhibits to display in his printed zoo. No matter how much sympathy he pretends to display towards the persons he appears to have interviewed, the cumulative effect is to make authentic Catholicism and those sympathetic to it look like some bunch of fragmented fools.
The scholarship is rather bad, and seemingly based on all the most outrageous quotes he can find as opposed to a realistic and honest appraisal of the Catholic community at large.
For starters, the whole phenomena is treated as though it were almost totally an American phenomena, with only a couple side trips to Canada. It would be legitimate to say "This is all over the world, but I am going to choose to focus most on that part nearest to my own locale." But instead he equates Catholicism with Americanism, American economics (The Wanderer), American utopian colonies (his "Separatists" - more about that in a moment), and American entrepreneurialism (Veronica Leuken), virtually ignoring the truly international, global, worldwide, universal, "Catholic" aspect of traditionalism.
Beginning with the "Conservatives": This book is typical of the writings of leftist academicians, for Mr. Cuneo, anything to the right of Al Gore is "extreme" in the pejorative sense of that word. In upholding Humanae Vitae and fighting the social evils of abortion, euthanasia, communism, socialism, and the overall "culture of death," H. Lyman Stebbins, James Hitchcock, Alphonse Matt (Sr. & Jr.), and Joseph Scheidler are simply doing their Catholic duty as activist laymen as specified in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Nothing "extreme" or worth treating as zoo exhibits here at all.
Moving over to his next catagory, naming it "Separatists" is a flat-out misrepresentation. Reading it, one would conjure up an image of various little groups going off into the jungle or the desert or mountain somewhere and creating a self-enclosed utopian society, akin to the Shakers or Oneida colonies, and morally committed to all the most outrageous conspiracy theories. In fact nothing could be further from the truth. Catholics of the SSPX, SSPV, CMRI and so forth are as much involved and committed to upholding the Social Reign of Christ and fighting abortion and the overall "culture of death" as anyone in his "conservative" category. Furthermore, they never separated themselves from the Church, rather the modernists in the Vatican separated themselves from many of these Catholics. And as for the Catholics that the Vatican modernists didn't separate themselves from, the FSSP, ICR, and other Indult communities, where would they have fit in Mr. Cuneo's zoo? No one calls them "separatists" yet put a priest of the FSSP next to a priest of the SSPX (and their respective congregations as well), and one would have extreme difficulty telling which one was which. And so what if Joseph Berchtold and Fr. Baumberger (sedevacantists) know little or nothing of Humanae Vitae? The fact remains that both know well Casti Connubii which teaches the same morality, and which is lived just as seriously by sedevacantists as Humanae Vitae is lived by conservatives.
Moving over to the "Marianists" (Appiritionists or Visionaries or Seers would have been a more appropriate title), again one sees him focusing on the most outrageous ones, Bayside, St. Jovite, etc. while leaving more representative contemporary visionaries such as Betania or Akita unmentioned. Fatima gets mentioned primarily in the context of the speculation surrounding the "third secret" and Fr. Gruner's continual struggles for recognition and acceptance. One sees here a clear taste for the sensationalistic, the ridiculous, and the worthless and contemptible, obviously included for no reason than to associate the more rational Catholics with the most outrageous "cases."
There is some information of interest, and much of it is wittily presented (his use of the phrase "Rock'n'Roll outlaw of Catholic Traditionalism" in reference to Bp. Shuckardt is so clever I've used it myself at times), but really, one does have a right to expect more solid and reputable information from a university professor.

Cuneo's book is well-written and thoroughly researched, but falls well short of providing a comprehensive overview of Catholic traditionalism in the United States. His book covers almost exclusively groups that have separated themselves from the Church, without any mention of the dramatic growth since 1988 of interest in the traditional Latin liturgy within the Church, a development encouraged by Pope John Paul II in his letter Ecclesia Dei. While these numerically insignificant separatist groups are unquesionably colorful, a book that concentrates on them while ignoring the far larger movement within the Church is ultimately unsatisfying simply because it is a study limited to epiphenomena that appear to be chosen on the basis of which will make "good copy" than on explaining a larger and more significant development. Cuneo should be given credit for thoroughly and reasonably fairly reviewing the traditionalist groups he surveys, and gaining interviews with a number of individuals with a deep-seated mistrust of outsiders of any disciption. However, since these groups are considered completely outside of context, this book can be better thought of as a collection of well-written feature articles than a serious academic study. In passing, it should be noted that Cuneo's implicit categorization of the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars with various sedevacantist groups and fraudulant apparitionists is nothing short of outrageous, and raises questions about his objectivity. If those questions are unfair ones, I suspect that Cuneo is quite capable of producing comprehensive and fair-minded study of conservative and traditionalist Catholicism in the United States. This book, though, is not it.

Since the convening of the Second Vatican Council during the reign of Pope John XXIII, many adjustments and renovations have been made to the Roman Catholic Church and to its traditions, including among other things traditional teachings on religious liberty and ecumenism as well as alterations made to the mass during the reign of Pope Paul VI. With the subsequent turbulent era of the 1960s and the social revolution which ensued, changes within the church continued to be made, often completely without justification. Today, many of those in the church of a liberal or progressive mind argue for even further changes in the Catholic Christian tradition, abandoning traditional morality and the teachings of the church, justified by calling upon the "Spirit of Vatican II". In a document referred to as the _Syllabus of Errors_ issued by Pope Pius IX on December 8, 1864, well before Vatican II, the notion that the pope "can and should reconcile himself to, or agree with, progress, liberalism, or modern civilization" was explicitly condemned. Many conservatives and traditionalists within the Catholic Church hold this document to be sacrosanct and see within the Second Vatican Council and the subsequent developments which have taken place within the church a direct contradiction to this traditional teaching and thus the heresy of modernism. This book serves as a sociological study examining some of the reactionary movements which have arisen in opposition either directly to Vatican II or to the subsequent liberalization of the church (especially the American church, under the spell of the heresy of Americanism and often rejecting the authority of the Roman Pontiff). The author divides these movements into three types: the conservative reaction, the traditionalist and Catholic separatist movements, and the mystical Marianist and apocalypticist movements which rely on private revelation to fill an absence of authority. Among conservative groups within the church, many adhere strongly to a document proliferated by Pope Paul VI (who is otherwise regarded with some suspicion especially by traditionalists for "changing the mass"). This document referred to as _Humanae Vitae_ issued by Paul VI in 1968, explicitly condemns birth control for Catholics and reasserts traditional Catholic teaching on sexual morality. Among the Catholic conservatives, abortion and birth control are regarded as part of the same problem involving loose sexual morals within American society. While conservatives affirm Vatican II and the subsequent "post-conciliar" popes (as well as the validity of the new mass, although they may not particularly like it), they continue to believe that many in the church are corrupted by liberalism and various heresies and thus have taken it upon themselves to enforce the Catholic tradition within the church and society at large. The author of this book considers such conservative groups as Catholics United for the Faith (CUF), E. Michael Jones and his _Fidelity Magazine_, and the writers of the conservative Catholic newspaper called _The Wanderer_. The author also examines such conservative thinkers as James Hitchcock and devotes an entire chapter to anti-abortion activism. Many of the more extreme Catholic anti-abortionists believe that the current pro-life movement is unable to stop abortion and that more direct action must be taken, among these is Joseph Scheidler. Opposed to the conservatives and to the documents of the Second Vatican Council (and often to the subsequent popes) are the Catholic traditionalists, who often operate in complete separation from the modern Catholic church. These individuals feel strongly that the current mass is not valid (or at least potentially invalid) and adhere strictly to the traditional Tridentine mass in Latin. Among traditionalist options include the Society of Saint Pius X (started by Archbishop Lefebvre, who dissented at Vatican II) and the subsequent breakaway Society of Saint Pius V (which broke away from Lefebvre because he would not take a strong enough stance against the post-conciliar popes). Among traditionalists, conspiracy minded thinking is common place (with frequent mention to conspiracies of both freemasons and Jews, the traditional enemies of Christ and his church, as well as communists who are believed to have infiltrated the church and the Vatican). While some traditionalists maintain an open attitude towards whether or not the post-conciliar popes including John Paul II are true popes, others maintain a hard-line attitude arguing that these popes are anti-popes (this position being referred to as "sedevacantism"). A third movement (often overlapping with the traditionalists) within the reactionary church is that of apocalypticism. For example, Father Gruner operates a movement which bases itself on the apparition of Mary at Fatima and the notorious Third Secret of Fatima. Other Marianists take an even more extreme position with regard to the church, often believing that the current pope is an anti-pope, proclaiming themselves pope such as Father John Gregory of the Apostles of Infinite Love has done, or arguing through prophecy that Pope Paul VI was replaced by an imposter as the seeress Veronica Leuken and her Bayside movement have done. Others have argued that many of these movements are diabolical in nature and that they represent an attempt to fill a vacuum in authority left by the current church leaders. Since the modern church especially in America after Vatican II has moved so far away from the traditional Catholic teaching, it is to be expected that such reactionary movements would arise which attempt to preserve their tradition. While those in the more extreme wings of the traditionalist movement and those among the apocalypticists have often left the institutional church entirely, it is the conservative Catholics who adhere to the actual teachings of the popes more so than their liberal counterparts. This book provides a good introduction to many of the reactionary movements within the church as they attempt to offer opposition to the current liberalism run rampant throughout.

"Smoke of Satan" was interesting in that it presented some little-known sides of Catholicism. However, it was unfair to place conservatives, who vigorously defend the mainstream Church's positions, in with traditionalists and apparitionists. The so-called conservatives are doing what the Vatican wants! There is nothing strange about them; strange are those Catholics who do not follow the guidelines of their own religion (the "liberals"). Also, it was only the very radical traditionalist groups that were given much attention - moderate groups such as Ecclesia Dei, Una Voce, and Society of St. Pius X were either excluded or, in the case of the latter, not profiled with the same depth of journalism as the radicals (SSPV, for example). The link between conservative/traditional theology and right-wing politics is unjustifiable - preferring the Latin Mass is independent of one's political leanings. Let the reader look past the biases of the author, though, let the facts speak for themselves, and "Smoke of Satan" is an informative book.

I was prepared to dislike this book, expecting another "left-wing hatchet job" (we conservative Catholics have seen more than one recently). But, surprise! Though Dr. Cuneo obviously favors a more liberal Catholic positions, he does not let his bias prevent him from fair, objective and highly entertaining reports on various factions within the Catholic right. I still disagree with some of his conclusions, but was surprised at how often I found myself nodding my head and saying, "Right on, Doc!"

The title, "Smoke of Satan", derives from a comment made by Pope Paul VI describing the confusion and rebellion which seemed to have invaded the Roman Catholic Church in the 1970's. Anyone who has become even tangentially involved with the so-called Traditionalist Movement in the Catholic Church will run into the Pope's phrase sooner or later. This choice of title for his book by Mr. Cuneo shows just how well he, a professor of sociology, has done his research. Everybody's here: from the so-called "CUF Catholics" to the uncharitable E. Michael Jones; from the fringe Society of St. Pius X to the even-loonier Society of St. Pius V; from the Bayside cult to the hysterical Fr. Nicholas Gruener! I give Cuneo credit for REALLY doing his homework: He visits Traddy "remnants" and Conservative upstarts, while frankly and seriously discussing their views. What I enjoyed was how Cuneo weaved one interesting story into another. What is more, many times while reading the book I chuckled to myself saying, "I've been there" or "I used to think the same thing." Whatever his real views are about CUF or Mount St. Michael's, I didn't get the impression that they got in the way of his research: If an interviewee came off as a blowhard, a hypocrite, or a nut, it was usually due to his or her verbatim comments! I could not give his book five stars as I would've liked on account of two gaping holes in Mr. Cuneo's work: the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter and EWTN. I don't see how he could write about such "mainstream" Conservative groups (CUF, The Wanderer) and, then, completely forget about that scourge of liberal American Catholicism, Mother Angelica. Moreover, how could Cuneo fail to treat the Fraternity, which is THE religious community at the forefront of Traditionalism's "reform of the reform"? Alas, nobody's perfect. Really, though, a must-read for anyone who's ever attended a Latin Mass--approved or not--in the United States.

While Mr. Cuneo discusses each of the various Catholic positions taken by the persons and groups he mentions with some fairness (at least with respect to each other), all positions a serious Catholic might take were treated equally lightly, as if none of them could be taken seriously. One really gets the feeling that he exhibits each of them like animals in a zoo: "...and in this cage we have the anti-abortionists, and over there are the sedevacantists...oh, look; the sedevacantists are making another pope; isn't that cute!" At least one source is misquoted so as to make an invalid point. Although it is written so as to seem fair and objective, it actually gives the reader no good reason to join any of the fine groups of those who take their Faith seriously.

To a reader with a casual -- rather than a theological or scholarly -- interest in the Church, Michael Cuneo's "The Smoke of Satan" provided an interesting and unexpectedly hilarious snapshot of the world of far-right Catholocism.

Beginning with the "conservative" Catholic movement -- loyalists to Rome and to strict interpretation of encyclical law -- Cuneo provides a fair hearing throughout the book to voices often marginalized in contemporary public discussion. Though complaints have been voiced from within the conservative movement at the unfairness of their being "lumped in" with the more marginal elements included in Smoke, any disinterested reader will clearly see the fairness of the treatment Cuneo gives them here. At times one feels the hearing is almost too sympathetic -- those expressing views which border on zealotry seem absolutely level-headed when contrasted with the lunacy that comes later.

It is in these later chapters that one finds amusement. No amount of fair hearing can mask the ridiculousness of the traditionalists, the sedevacantists and the mystics. Though Cuneo keeps editorial commentary to a minimum, he provides a hilarious charicature of the fanatical participants of carnivals and conspiracy theories simply by allowing them to tell their own stories.

This is particularly true in the case of the so-called traditionalists, whose hyper-schismatic tendencies and old-fashioned jews-and-freemasons conspiracy theories have them ernestly delivering statements which appear to be punchlines to everyone but themsleves. As to the Apocolyptic Marionists, Cuneo is once again tender in his treatment of them, but the groups themselves are well into the realm of unintentional self-parody before he ever arrives.

One interesting thing made clear to me through the book (though probably unintended): The actual centralized control of the church is quite weak. The fact that rogue bishops and congregations go years without being officially chastised by Rome, and that the raving whacko Fr. Gruener can continue to stand in open defiance of the Church executive without being defrocked are evidence of this. It may be obvious to those inside the Church, but to this lay (sometimes lapsed) Catholic, it was an interesting side note.

I cannot comment on the scholarship with any authority, but I found the writing and reporting excellent, and recommend the book highly to anyone with even a passing interest in the Church or in the culture of fanatacism.

Michael Cuneo has done a fair job of suppressing his own bias (without actually hiding it) when discussing those groups dissatisfied with the direction the Church has taken since Vatican II. If he is somewhat unfair to the 'so-called' conservatives, he is closer to the mark on the traditionalists. By suggesting that the conservatives have not produced any scholarship of note, he does beg the question of who is doing the noting.

Yeoman work, but hardly the last word.