You've been framed!

Vatican Lists Core Teachings for Traditionalists reads the headline. The Vatican is, in this instance, involved in tactical skirmishes while losing the strategic battle.

While I am fairly sure that the press release from the Vatican did not describe the Society of St. Pius X as traditionalist by not addressing the claims of that group (and others like them) that they are traditionalist the Vatican has ceded to them the best ground on the battlefield.

When I was growing up (Catholic) "obeying the stricture, rules, and admonitions" of the Vatican and its appointed officials would have been described as being a traditionalist and "openly defying Church authorities" would have been described not only as schismatic but revolutionary.

The various hosts that I listen to on American Catholic radio make it a practice never to simply say "same-sex" marriage. They always refer to it as "so-called same-sex marriage." The strategists at the Vatican should be sending out a note to those same Catholic pundits to always refer to the Society of St. Pius X as "so-called" traditionalists.[1]

As we have learned over the last few years -- those who frame the terms of the debate almost always go on to win it.

[1] Friendly advise from a no-longer Catholic.