Conservatives often receive a bad rap as negative reactionaries who continually complain about the state of society and the Church. Conservation, however, flows from our original mission to till and protect the Garden, implying that God entrusted a good to us that must be preserved and cultivated within the limits of his original work. Conservatives reject the myth of progress that “new” necessarily means “better,” even if it might be on occasion, and recognize the necessity of tradition. The need to conserve implies the possession of a good worth cherishing, protecting, and passing on. Perhaps this points to the key difference between a conservative and a progressive, with one recognizing the good as already possessed and the other seeking a future good not yet possessed.
The conservative label has been applied infelicitously within the Catholic Church. Rather than the political left/right divide that arose in the French Revolution between Republicans and Monarchists, it has come to represent alternative ways of interpreting the Second Vatican Council. Conservatives seek to preserve traditional expressions of doctrine and liturgy, while liberals seek greater accommodation to the culture. Pigeonholed into this dichotomy, we can miss the deeper meaning of conservatism. I would propose a more complete vision of Catholic conservatism, beginning with a deeper definition of what it means to be a conservative in general.
Russell Kirk provides a helpful starting point, laying out six general principles in his essay “Conservatism: A Succinct Definition.” He begins, “First, conservatives generally believe that there exists a transcendent moral order, to which we ought to try to conform the ways of society.” This means that we do not set our own terms but accept a standard above ourselves.
“Second, conservatives uphold the principle of social continuity.” They perceive social change as disruptive.
“Third, conservatives believe in what may be called the principle of prescription.” This entails preserving acquired wisdom and the customs of our ancestors.
“Fourth, conservatives are guided by their principle of prudence.” They seek to exercise caution and deliberation in making decisions.
“Fifth, conservatives pay attention to the principle of variety.” They reject the tyranny of imposing one absolute or centralized standard, recognizing the value of individual contributions within distinct traditions.
“Sixth, conservatives are chastened by their principle of imperfectability.” They strive for realism due to their attention to human failure.
To these six principles proposed by Kirk, I would add two more of my own. Seventh, conservatives seek to preserve timeless goods by cherishing beauty in the arts and architecture and preserving liberal education. Eighth, they uphold the principle of subsidiarity by remaining rooted in the foundation of the family, the importance of self-sufficiency, and the priority of local community, economics, politics and culture.
Drawing upon these principles, I would propose the following applications for an articulation of a more robust Catholic conservatism:
1. Conservative Catholics preserve the priority of God’s revelation and its expression by the Church in her doctrine.
2. Conservative Catholics uphold the unbroken nature of tradition and seek to hand it on to the next generation.
3. Conservative Catholics exercise caution in the face of proposed changes in the Church and society.
4. Conservative Catholics value the beautiful diversity within the Church of various cultures, intellectual traditions and liturgical rites.
5. Conservative Catholics pay attention to how sin corrupts us within the Church and work for continual spiritual and moral renewal.
6. Conservative Catholics promote beautiful art, architecture and music in the Church and seek to restore the Church’s tradition of teaching the liberal arts.
7. Conservative Catholics uphold the primary rights and duties of parents and seek to form strong communities in the parish, confraternities and other Catholic organizations to live out the faith in daily life.
To balance these principles, we also must attend to the vices of conservatives:
• Emphasizing self-reliance too heavily and not attending sufficiently to the needs of others.
• Demonstrating an excessively reactionary mindset.
• Resisting good and necessary change.
• Falling into idealism.
• Giving into a power struggle for control within a paradigm set up by progressives.
• Succumbing to cynicism or even despair in the face of what appears to be unstoppable change.
To overcome the vices of conservatives, we could also add the following principles to push them beyond narrow confines:
8. Conservative Catholics should work harder to uphold the dignity of all human beings, especially the most marginalized and vulnerable in society.
9. Conservative Catholics should grow in hope by trusting in God’s providential care for the Church and human history.
10. Conservative Catholics should give others, including Church leaders and those with whom they disagree, more understanding, support and prayer.
Conservative Catholics work to preserve and uphold genuine and necessary goods within the life of the Church and society. They can break out of the confines of a conservative label, and the vices that follow it, by demonstrating greater charity and manifesting hope for others.
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I might add that conservative, faithful, traditional Catholics practice the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. Many of these overlap or embellish what Stuart recommends for faithful, conservative Catholics. For those who were never taught them, I list them:
Corooral works of mercy:
To feed the hungry;
To give drink to the thirsty;
To clothe the naked;
To harbour the harbourless;
To visit the sick;
To ransom the captive;
To bury the dead.
The spiritual works of mercy are:
To instruct the ignorant;
To counsel the doubtful;
To admonish sinners;
To bear wrongs patiently;
To forgive offences willingly;
To comfort the afflicted;
To pray for the living and the dead.
I meant to say “Jared”. Sorry.
As a student of St. Thomas, I can not help but think that real “goods” must run parallel with our nature as human beings. We share a common nature that should develop through the acquisition of the virtues: theological, intellectual and social. Sadly, whether that paradigm is possible (and to what degree) this side of Heaven, we may never really know. We see beautiful examples of this potential in those among us whom we eventually identify as “saints”. That said, I don’t see too many liberal “saints”. In fact, I would propose that liberal policies lend themselves to corruption, not salvation. Maybe I might be taking this essay too far afield from the authors intended purpose; but, any propriety that isn’t rooted in what is good for the human person in general is one that likely won’t be good for the human person in particular.
Sorry, but your #8 is vague in the extreme, leaving open the possibility of Fr Martin and his followers using it for the heresies they propound. I hope this is just an oversight on your part, and you’ll issue a clarification.
In listing the vices of conservatives, are these absolute or relative to progressives/liberals? What is the documentation or evidence that these are the vices of conservatives?
Just wondering.
I’m concerned with #6. With respect, I think it is difficult to define “beautiful” art, architecture, and music. I’ve heard mny Catholics trash “Gather Us In” as “Protestant” (thus labelling all Protestantism as “ugly”) and compare it to “The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald” (a hauntingly pretty son, IMO), while for me, “Gather Us In” was THE hymn sung in the Masses that I attended while Protestant (I had never heard it in any Protestant church) that comforted me after a horrific experience in my family’s last Protestant church and helped me to want to become Catholic! Same for art and architecture–some conservative Catholics seem to think that if the painting doesn’t look like a photograph from life and the architecture doesn’t include marble (in columns, preferably), it’s “not Catholic” and hideous to boot! Again, with respect, and as a musician who has been told that the piano and guitar should be banned in the Mass–I disagree. There is beauty in every style and form of music, art, and architecture if we are willing to open our minds and heart. We may prefer certain styles of music, art, and architecture, but that doesn’t make our preference “beautiful” and the preferences of others “ugly” or “non-Catholic.”
“The conservative label has been applied infelicitously within the Catholic Church. Rather than the political left/right divide…”
Matthew 13:49
Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
When was the last time you heard a homily where the Priest talked about the modern day actions of the ‘wicked’, ‘evildoers’ or ‘Gehenna (hell) goers’, as Jesus did in His day? People who strive for righteousness, obedience to God, and generosity, are now described as ‘conservatives’. Those who condone abortion, sexual immorality, and are only generous with other people’s money, are now called ‘liberals’. This tremendously distorts Christ’s message on Salvation.
It is meaningless to look at minute, non-Salvation, differences between political left Catholics and political right Catholics, when we should be comparing the wicked, evildoer Catholics on the path to hell, with the repentant Catholics striving for righteousness and heaven. Simply preach the Gospel of Jesus, strong and bold, in Jesus’ own words!
Revelation 2:22
“I mean to cast her down on a bed of pain; her companions in sin I will plunge into intense suffering unless they repent of their sins with her, and her children I will put to death. Thus shall all the churches come to know that I am the searcher of hearts and minds, and that I will give each of you what your conduct deserves.”
Matthew 25:41
Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Revelation 22:12
“Remember, I am coming soon! I bring with me the reward that will be given to each man as his conduct deserves. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End! Happy are they who wash their robes so as to have free access to the tree of life and enter the city through its gates Outside are the dogs and sorcerers, the fornicators and murderers, the idol-worshipers and all who love falsehood.
Unfortunately some Conservatives today only seem to care about money, or are extremely anti intellectual. These kinds of Conservatives believe the free market will fix everything, and do nothing to protect the environment and the soil, which are part of a people’s heritage. It shouldve been a hallmark of it from the beginning.
Abortion is the most profound violation of the environment – the natural environment of a mother’s womb. Abortion is an environmental issue.
How does one determine Good and Necessary Change?
Erwan, are you sure you’re not confusing “political” conservatism for religious conservatism? I’m not sure Conservative Catholics have “faith” per se in the free markets. We’re likely to say that the free markets lend themselves much better to the pursuit of virtues that are required for strong family life, strong culture and a strong, cohesive polity. The opposition touts socialism the success of which has never been realized. As far the environment, I agree with the sentiments of St. Paul that (paraphrasing) “all of creation groans under the weight of the sin of man”. Political conservatives are not nearly as accountable for any damage done to creation as those that have justified and even embraced sins like abortion and homosexuality that also as scripture relates “scream out to Heaven for vengeance”.
We always talk of Charity but we are Will and Intellect. The marriage of Love and Wisdom is the true conservatism. Certainly, I do see in say a Lincoln the worth and necessity of Prudence but he knew the Natual Law so he was only prudent where it was a virtue.
As the Bible says twice: Many are the ways that seem right but lead to Death
Yet, putting this together we can be paralyzed by “Well, I might be wrong, after all I am fallible” — but that is why this is all a moral choic and not just love and not just wisdom . We are to do our best while relying on God to help
SIRACH 32:19
Do nothing without deliberation, and when you have acted, don’t feel regret.
Labels like “liberal” and “conservative” have been politicalized, possibly irreversibly. However, this article has me leaning towards identifying as a preservist Catholic (atypical form of the modifier) –rooted in keeping safe, or free from harm, to protect. Moreover, it is a short leap to persevere which is a cornerstone of our Faith in action and entails transformation in virtue and acceptance of sacrifice.
“Labels like “liberal” and “conservative” have been politicalized, possibly irreversibly.” They are political. And what is more, they are NOT Catholic.
Catholicism = preserve the Deposit of Faith and the Living Sacred Tradition from generation to generation.
Apostasy = rupture with the deposit of Faith- even denying it ever existed ! Chaos, Cancel-Culture, and finally Bergoglioism.
Conservative or Liberal in Politics.
Catholic or Apostate in Catholicism.
Catholics embrace only the truth concerning religious faith and morals.
Political labels don’t have any real meaning outside of a general tendency of a person’s beliefs. There is likely a correlation between a person who identifies as religious and conservative. They certainly are not relevant to the Catholic faith.
I get the impression that the conversation about conservatism is an example of the propaganda technique of “glittering generalities.” What matters isn’t the principles, but the policies. Does a person who identifies as conservative support justice?
No person who identifies as a Catholic and who supports abortion in the slightest ought to be considered a good and orthodox Catholic.
Take this sentence and replace “Catholic” with “conservative” and compare its truth.
No person who identifies as a conservative and who supports abortion in the slightest ought to be considered a good and orthodox conservative.
According to Pew Research Center research only 72 percent of those who identify as conservative/Republican/lean Republican believe that abortion should be illegal in all/most cases. Thus a person can conclude that a conservative doesn’t believe that his political label actually ought to determine his beliefs concerning morality.
However, this isn’t the case with regards to religion. To not hold the beliefs that one ought to makes a person a heretic. It may be material, but it is heresy. And with regards to politics, IT HAS CONSEQUENCES.
With regards to those who identify as Catholics and who say that they attend what they believe to be Mass weekly only 24 percent believe that abortion should be illegal (FYI abortion is murder, so “legal abortion” is an oxymoron.) in all cases.
Comparatively speaking with regards to “Catholic conservatism,” abortion was supported by 1% of those who believe that they attend the TLM vs 51% for those who attend NO “Mass.” Of those who go to TLM, 99% go weekly vs. 22% of NO attendees.
https://liturgyguy.com/2019/02/24/national-survey-results-what-we-learned-about-latin-mass-attendees/comment-page-1/
I disagree with your definition of traditional and liberal Catholics. There is no such thing but the people of God. THE CHURCH IS TRADITION. There will always be believers struggling with issues on the right and left and there will always be excesses on each side that you describe. 1.3 billion Catholics are not traditional or liberals but are the Church and tradition is the belief of the Catholic Apostolic Church. We need charity and unity and all of us together will overcome the great evils of the present age.
I’m sorry but this a horribly deficient essay, or should I say rant. Consider this:
“Emphasizing self-reliance too heavily and not attending sufficiently to the needs of others.
• Demonstrating an excessively reactionary mindset.
• Resisting good and necessary change.
• Falling into idealism.
• Giving into a power struggle for control within a paradigm set up by progressives.
• Succumbing to cynicism or even despair in the face of what appears to be unstoppable change.”
The dimensions of these purported deficiencies are undefined and therefore there is no measurable scale or criteria one can develop actionable ways use to address these alleged deficiencies. Although examples are inevitably anecdotal; even they would help the reader with these indefinite and nebulous complaints.
Worse, what is reasonably clear: “falling into idealism” is a leftist affliction. They are the ones who constantly assert perfection as attainable in this realm-if of course we just submit to their will.
I appreciated this. It was succinct and didnt feel like it was making excuses the way some conservative apologetics do.
I did have to tweak it a teensy bit for my own use, but that’s how I learn best.
Thank you for your insight.