Catholic Identity Crisis: Are We Trad, Liberal, or Just Missing the Point?
by John Paul Philips As Catholics, we often hear terms like " traditional " and " liberal " used to describe different approaches to faith within our Church. While these labels might seem helpful in categorizing beliefs and practices, they can actually create more division than unity. This tendency to label and categorize goes against the very essence of what it means to be Catholic. The word " Catholic " itself means " universal ," implying a faith that transcends boundaries and embraces all peoples. When we start dividing ourselves into subcategories like " traditional ," " liberal ," " charismatic ," or " radical ," we risk losing sight of the fundamental unity that Christ calls us to embody. Christ's prayer for us was clear ( John 17:20-23) : "I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are