A sink hole.

That’s the image I use most frequently right now for what is going to happen to the Church in the near future.

A demographic sink hole is about to open up under the Church in these USA and elsewhere. Younger people are in large part “nones”, that is, professing no religion. They will inevitably stop even pretending to identify with the religion of their parents. As senior, seasoned Catholics pass to their reward, their monetary contributions will be lost. The children who will inherit or who are building their own fortunes are not going to contribute. We are faced also with the sink hole opening up beneath the priesthood, too.

The numbers are going to drop big time, both at the altar and in the pews.

What are we going to do with our churches and other buildings?

Some dioceses are starting to think inside the box labelled “T”.

However, a group that is steadily growing are those who want Tradition. The TLM is growing.

A friend of mine used to say provocatively that one day the Novus Ordo would disappear and only the TLM would remain. I didn’t buy that at the time. These days, I’m not so sure.

Frankly, as I have written before, I think that when the sink hole opens two groups will remain strong and vibrant: evangelical converts and charismatics and, on the other hand, traditionalists. Eventually these two groups will move closer and closer together and start to cross pollinate. As a matter of fact, I think that it is already happening.

There will be some tentions in that contact, but the results will prove to be amazing. I might see them in my life, but… who knows? Motus in finem velocior.

So, I – who am President of the Tridentine Mass Society of the Diocese of Madison – am pretty chuffed by a Tweet I spotted today in my feed. Take a look.

We’d like to highlight this encouraging item from Windsor Latin Mass via @AlexanderBegin, which is a welcome bit of good news, and which we hope is a realization not confined to just that one chancery.@SteveSkojec @Juventutem_MI @FIJuventutem @fatherz @LMSChairman https://t.co/9fEAJCpNJh pic.twitter.com/LekV0srax2 — JuventutemDC (@juventutemDC) January 19, 2020

In some places churches are being entrusted to traditional groups. Those churches are being saved from closure and loss.

Traditional sacred worship and traditional preaching with strong dedication to works of mercy.

Watch what happens!

We have to think inside the box again.

This merits some discussion and ideas.