How goes the Battle?

I watched a video from Father Schmidberger the other day. It's in German, but for all those who are able to follow it, Father's presentation is well worth the hour time because it is so well crafted and comprehensive in his analysis of the situation in the Church today and for his apologia in favor of the mission of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X on behalf of our Church, which seems on a number of accounts to be foundering. 

I say foundering, because of the "drop on the monitor" of more than a few health indicators for the Church. Regular Sunday Mass attendance is an indication of Church vitality, and it is definitely down, as are respectable numbers of people coming regularly to the Sacrament of Penance, to Confession. Being confronted in Confirmation preparation classes by young people who cannot make the Sign of the Cross, let alone recite their basic prayers, is a lack which should set off alarms. The huge drop in the number of sacramental marriages is certainly due to more than a lower birthrate. Seminaries continue to close. Foundering is, well, as good a word as any to describe a situation of change which must be worrying.

While an 85-100% reduction in the number of vocations to religious congregations for men in the United States, comparing statistics from 1965 and the year 2000, could be interpreted as a legitimate action of the Holy Spirit, moving the Church now and always by ever new means and perhaps even other charisms. Nonetheless such reductions and their consequences for countless traditional apostolates in the Church cannot go discounted. 

The counsels offered by Father to move at the level of personal faith and family to genuine renewal are the words of a wise old pastor. May he and many more wise and holy men be heard and heeded!

PROPERANTES ADVENTUM DIEI DEI