Modernism - the roots of the rotten tree

Jan. 25, 2026

We will be spending a few weeks on this particular heresy, due to the fact that it is relatively new (I mean 150 years in comparison with the 2000 the Church has survived so far is fairly new), it is pretty widespread, and it is still alive and kicking today. It is the most pervasive of all heresies in that many, many Catholics are practicing it. Some completely ignorant of the fact as they have simply followed the words of leaders whom – unknown to them - had given themselves over to the heresy (the wolves in sheep’s clothing). Some Catholics practice it knowingly and even proudly. It really is a nefarious heresy at that, because it disguises itself under many false flags and masks. Things that sound good and Catholic at first or look noble on the surface. This is how modernism has been so successful – it appeals to human pride and vainglory in an underhanded way under the false flag of supposed “compassion” or “humility” and then subverts the very good it claims to support. If the barbarians can first get the townsfolk to open the gates willingly, they can then much more easily ransack the town.

The heresy of modernism is difficult to define in simple terms; however, we will try our best. Modernism as such is different from other heresies in that the general pattern of heresy has always been :

1. A doctrine; followed by

2. A certain set of tendencies or practices

For instance, we can look at Martin Luther’s heresy. It began first with his criticism of the teachings of the Catholic Church in various areas, the disputation of certain truths and such as this. All this taking place before he went to the second step, which was breaking from the Church formally and officially and the founding his Protestant church. The pattern was the same as it had been earlier with Arius and the Arian heresy. First was a doctrine of sorts, followed by practices emanating from that doctrine. The earlier heresies were meant to be accepted and then practiced completely by their adherents.

Here is where modernism changes things in the scheme of the normal direction of heresy. It switched steps 1 and 2 around.

So instead of:

1. Doctrine - followed by – 2. Practices

Modernism has:

1. Practices - followed by – 2. Doctrine.

The doctrines of the modernist heresy result from the practices of the heresy. And the doctrines of modernism are not all completely accepted by its adherents – however its practices generally are. Another departure from the so-called “norm”. While this may not sound like too big of a deal at the beginning, it has contributed much to the success of modernism. If you can train and ingrain a person in a practice or cultivate a tendency, you will then easily be able to convince them and have them believe the reasons for that practice or tendency – as they are already familiar with it and the practice of it has become altogether normal for them.

We will look more at this particularly devious heresy in the coming weeks.

God love you, Fr. Anthony