From a seminarian: “priests of the future are excited about tradition”

Here is a note from a seminarian, whose identity I am preserving at his request.

It is a tie in with my entry here reacting to Damian Thompson’s post at Holy Smoke.

My emphases and comments.

Dear Father,

First off, I want to exercise a bit of prudence and ask that you not print my name nor location if you choose to use this correspondence. I appreciate the good work you do for the Church, and I always value honesty and openness, but I don’t need to start an electronic "paper trail" just yet.

I read your recent post and commentary on the notion that traditional Catholics are losing hope over matters of liturgy. As a seminarian studying in a well-regarded seminary … , my observation is that the good people of faith should not lose hope. On the contrary, it should be increasing. 

Simply observing in my own seminary environments, the priests of the future are excited about tradition. [This is my impression too.] They embrace their faith in all its dimensions, and feel both a historical and spiritual attachment to the Extraordinary Form *and* the Novus Ordo. After all, we are familiar with the Mass of our "childhood," as it were, but we also long for and want the Mass of the ages.

You can see this in things as simple as the cassock: my diocese purchases for each new seminarian a cassock and surplice, and my brothers from other dioceses across the country in a similar fashion embrace that symbol of the Church.

That’s not all. My bishop has celebrated twice a Pontifical Mass at the Throne, and has encouraged his priests to go along with the liturgical reforms of Pope Benedict. ….

My point is that, while things may seem dire in certain locales throughout the world, there is great hope in our young people. I think I speak for my brother seminarians in saying that we realize that one day, we too will be charged with the task of leading the people of God to Christ. And we will be prepared to do that in complete communion, theologically and liturgically, with the Holy Father and the Catholic Church–our formation is already geared to that, the priest-faculty being in complete solidarity with Pope Benedict.

Don’t worry – pray for your bishops, priests, and seminarians, and appreciate how far we’ve come in a few short years.

Thank you, again, Father, for your continued work on behalf of the Church. I do think we are living in challenging, but exciting times – I certainly appreciate the prayers for the continued good formation of myself and my brother seminarians throughout the world.