As a cradle catholic, I donβt trust tradcaths tbh. I donβt trust that they care about Catholicism and Jesus more than they care about being performative with the religion. Catholic aesthetic is awesome donβt get me wrong. But it feels like these people are all about the aesthetics and showing off how knowledgeable and βgoodβ they are. Which is the exact opposite of Catholicism imo.
The way I grew up, real Catholic culture is keeping quiet and forever lowkey feeling guilty youβre not good and not doing enough, because itβs true. And we donβt judge other people because weβre aware we are not perfect either. So It is what it is and weβre all sinners anyway but we do what we can. Weβre not concerned with whatβs going on in the Vatican. We just show up to do good works in our community without fanfare because itβs what youβre supposed to be doing anyway. You can accept attention and compliments from others but never draw it to yourself.
Religious ephemera isnβt something you buy and show off as collectible trinkets to put on your aesthetic blog. Theyβre gifted, passed down, collected from life events like baptisms and funerals. Theyβre sacred yet ordinary. Kept in the privacy of your car or at the home altar. Not posted in public for people to praise.
I donβt doubt these tradcaths pray more regularly, act chaste, and know more about the Vatican rules and the Bible than me. But being Catholic isnβt all about these things. Following the church is only one part of it. Itβs moreso the spirit by which you live. One of humility, service, grace, generosity. And above all, love. All these things lead back to love.
