In the second installment of my three-part interview with Dominic de Souza for Smart Catholics about my book “Heresy Disguised as Tradition“, we explore why Tradition can be (and is often) confused with innovation.
In this interview, we covered the following key points:
1. The Founding Story: I share two stories – one a parable and the other a personal narrative – to illustrate the timeless struggle between truth and lie, tradition and heresy.
2. Navigating the Headlines: I explore how recent headlines and controversies in the papacy of the Holy Father provide opportunities to reflect on the central question of upholding tradition in the face of perceived disconnect.
3. The Illusion of Heresy: I address the confusion and manufactured controversies surrounding Pope Francis, highlighting the importance of recognizing the media’s role in undermining his message.
4. Mechanisms of Tradition and Innovation: I explain four mechanisms through which tradition can be confused with innovation, including aggiornamento, doctrinal development, resourcement, and complexio oppositorum.
5. Balancing Tradition and Innovation: I emphasize the delicate balance the Church must maintain between tradition and innovation, using examples of heresies that arise from an imbalance in understanding Jesus’s humanity and divinity.
6. Unique Perspective: How the book explores the connection between heresy and tradition throughout history, shedding light on the widespread assumption that traditionalists can disregard the pope’s teachings if they contradict personal interpretations of tradition.
7. Humility and Learning: I encourage humility and a willingness to learn from the magisterium, reminding viewers that personal interpretation should never override the authoritative interpretation of the Church.
Part 1 of the interview can be seen here. Part 3 can be watched here.
I’m also going host a Workshop where you can meet the author and ask any questions about the book or about me as a writer. It’s going to be held on February 10, at 11 am (EST). Here is the link to register. I’m looking forward to seeing you there!
Pedro Gabriel, MD, is a Catholic layman and physician, born and residing in Portugal. He is a medical oncologist, currently employed in a Portuguese public hospital. A published writer of Catholic novels with a Tolkienite flavor, he is also a parish reader and a former catechist. He seeks to better understand the relationship of God and Man by putting the lens on the frailty of the human condition, be it physical and spiritual. He also wishes to provide a fresh perspective of current Church and World affairs from the point of view of a small western European country, highly secularized but also highly Catholic by tradition.
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