I seem to recall that Jesus Christ himself renamed Simon to be Peter aka the Greek Petros "The Rock" or "Rocky" and said "upon tis Rock I will build my Church". There is nothing more rigid than a rock. There is little more elastic than a Serpent.

Love & Support for my Northern Brothers 🇨🇦 🚚🛻🚛🚒🚚🛻🚛🚒🚚🛻🚛🚒🚚 🇺🇸

I think a clearer version of rigidity as a vice comes from 1 Cor 13, that love does not insist on its own way (although of course, faithful Catholics are not insisting on their OWN way, but on the way of the Church, which is different)

Church without rigid foundation is useless. A man without rigid love of truth, justice, love… in one word - Jesus Christ - is useless. Thank you very much for your video.

They (the accusers) never define the term or provide actual examples although the pope today said that sticking to Tradition is rigid. LOL. Poor guy. Heaven help us and the pope.

Brian , I truly thank you very much . I am born and raised a catholic and for as long as I can remember I haven't missed daily mass even though I have been a consistent sinner but I was always aware of where of where I was trying to get to. I have tried , apparently with little success to install the true knowledge of life's purpose in my 5 children who are all grown up and left . Recently though I find my local cathedral/ church very unfriendly cold and really uninviting places to the point where I am almost glad that some of my children don't go very often . I have actually thought of changing to Anglican faith but God has answered my heartache and prayers tonight listening to yourself , thank you .

Great points. To expect the Church to adapt to your personal preferences and circumstances is being rigid. Rather, willing and striving to change yourself to align with the teachings of the Church, is not rigid, but transforming.

Rigid ... it's a word being used by those who are not happy with those of us who are not following their lead to make a Left change in the teachings of the Church. It is an insult and a bludgeon against those who are faithful Catholics.

"Rigidity" is only a sin to an innovator.

Great talk! I'm one of those "rigid" Catholics our pontiff continually bashes. I became"rigid" because I was tired of seeing the abuses at Mass and the wishy-washy catechism being taught. When "the worldwide virus of unknown origins" gave my local bishop cause to shut down the churches and deny us the sacraments, I found a priest literally doing underground Latin Mass for Sundays. There I found the beauty and reverence of the TLM and its uncompromising "rigidity" to the fullness of faith. I have only been back to a Novus Ordo Mass maybe a handful of times since then because the TLM brings me closer to God. Shame the one who preaches against"rigid" is himself seemingly rigid in the modernist heresy.

The vagueness of the label is what makes it a good label to be applied to those who oppose change in the church.

Thanks for this video. This helps me put into words what I’ve been struggling with on this idea of rigidity as a negative.

"You're rigid" > "You're unwilling to come at compromise with the vices and sins of the modern world" You bet I am

"If you conquer, I will make you a pillar in the Temple of my God; you will never go out of it." - Revelation 3:12 Pillars are pretty rigid.

Rigid is a form of firmness that tends to have a negative connotation when it is used, so I think it is important to give it a negative definition and go from there. If rigidity is merely defined as an unwillingness to change, that is good or bad depending on the circumstance, so this must be a bad definition for the word since the word is always supposed to be bad. If, instead, rigidity is defined as: an inability to react to the needs of the moment, rigidity is clearly a vice, and flexibility: the ability to react to the needs of the moment, is it's corresponding virtue. Rigidity is an inability to apply virtue to the situation you are in because you are already set on a certain course of action, but it clearly is not a vice, and flexibility is not a virtue, relating to belief. In general, the tendency to demand everyone perform the Traditional Latin Mass and to not change liturgical practices *does* tend towards rigidity. Yes, it is true that prayer affects our belief, and it would seem that because we have one goal, that is, God, we should all pray in exactly the same way. However, this is false because it does not take into account the fact that every one of us starts from a different place with a different set of vices and virtues. If, for example, you had to make every number equal 12 through addition and subtraction, you could not add 5 to every number. Yes, you could add five to seven and get 12, but add five to eight and you get thirteen, but you can't have thirteen cause you need 12. In the same way, everyone starts in a different place, and because of that they need to practice a slightly different prayer life to gain the same virtues and beliefs when compared to those most like them. In the same way, nations start in different places with different cultures, and to some proper extent, the liturgy does need to be different for each nation, even each congregation, in order to minister to that nation more perfectly. Some towns need a TLM because of the culture there, and other need vernacular because of the culture there, and others need eastern rites because of the culture there, but the same liturgy won't affect the same people in the same way. It is true that, the more fundamental something is to our faith, the more firmly we should hold it and the less it should be changed, but the things which need to change the least are the matter and form of the sacraments, and even the proper sacramental words can be translated. If should be noted, however, that even though there is a certain tendency towards rigidity in traditionalism, there is far more of it in modernism and the vice that works alongside it, fluidity. The opposing virtue of fluidity is firmness. Fluidity is an inability to remain true to what one believes, while firmness is the ability to remain true to what one believes. Fickleness goes alongside rigidity because an inability to hold firm to any sort of principle prevents you from ever applying it to the needs of the moment (flexibility) and makes you incapable of knowing why you need to change. Ie. When you don't have firm principles, you can't apply them to the needs of the moment, so you become rigid and incapable of acting virtuously.

Thank you, Catholics, need to hear this. We cannot allow ourselves to be doormats.

The "sin" of being rigid is assigned to those who confirm there is a natural, everlasting law given to man at creation, the following of which leads to both natural and supernatural life. Disobedience of that law leads to self-destruction and the eventual death of the soul.

Blessed to be as rigid as a pillar in the temple of the Lord.

Another great message, Brian. Thank you again.

You’re a smart cookie! Excellent, balanced commentary!👍

Such a great explanation! Thank you!

Excellently well said! It’s so nice to see and hear converts who can offer the perspective that they ( you) offer. Thank you!!!!

God bless you Brian, a voice of reason in this mad world. Hold tight to your faith and thank you so much for speaking the truth. We are with you. You have eloquently articulated my thoughts in a cogent and enlightened way. Thank you.

Really well said (as usual!) thanks for posting!

Brilliant logic laid out in a way that is intelligent and charitable. Thank you! This type of clarification is needed more than ever as we seem to be getting beaten with the rod of “rigidity” on a daily basis now.

Thank you, Brian; that was delightful.

I only know of one Catholic leader who likes to use the word "rigid": Pope Francis.

Bergoglio is rigid about changing everything and telling us that WE are rigid

What an awesome insight on this topic.

My parents will always use the word “rigid” whenever I bring up that fact that my can’t receive communion in a state of mortal sin. Thank you Brian!

The Truth is Unchanging, AKA Rigid. Hold Fast to Tradition. Words have many senses, as the Summa Theologica makes clear.

Thanks Brian! I love learning from you.

Yes I am “ridged”.. When it comes to worshiping God When it comes to following our Lord’s law When it comes to how I pray Yes I AM ridged..

Brian thank you - you keep me sane

Thank you for this excellent video.

Our Lord said “if you are faithful in the little things, you will be faithful in much.” Luke 16:10. What some call rigidity, I call faithfulness.

As an Orthodox inquirer and friend to my Catholic brothers and sisters. I pray for you guys

Brian,Your videos are outstanding! I'd love to see you on Rumble. Don't plan on staying with youtube much longer.

Beautifully explained! Thank you 🙏🏻

Not just in the context of the Church, rigidity as a word with bad connotations is very modern, not even ancient pagan societies would say that being rigid about the society's customs is a bad thing. I would even argue that as Catholics, it's better for us if everyone, even our enemies be firm in their beliefs, as if they so happen to convert, they usually keep that firmness. I would also go so far as to say that lack of rigidity is one of the great sins of the modern world, as that lack of a firm stance makes it much easier for one to remain "agnostic" and other kinds of non-commital stances that leads to many sins being acceptable. I reject in every way the idea that rigidity in itself is a bad thing, and i don't think your example of a person refusing to let go of a vice is a valid way to interpret rigidity as a sin, as that refusal to change is invariably the result of the person not having a firmness of purpose and being enslaved by sin.

This period of history in which we live seems to be marked by a great sense of confusion. This confusion can totally undermine our sense of equilibrium. I am thankful for voices greater than my own who can shed light on these issues. Thanks Brian for being one of those voices.

As always you boil things down to salt, Mr Holdsworth. Well done. As seems to be all too common, the judgement required prior to arriving at a position is passed over in today's discourse (or what passes for discourse) I think that simply means ultimately that people emote more than they think. The fostering of this kind of "shortcut-to-conclusions" seems strategic. Unfortunate.

Amazing! Thank you so much for this video!!

Absolutely love you Brian.

The wisdom to know when and for what to be rigid about is a rare gift.

Thank you, Brian.

I like your explanation, that if you are a bad person then being ridid is a bad thing. If you are truthful and good then being rigid is a good thing.

Excellent video regarding the new most popular term used by many in today's Church hierarchy.

Thank you, Brian. I enjoyed this homily. Here in the States, we often accuse political opponents of "flip-flopping" - from the slang term for shower or beach sandals. It means that a person isn't rigid in their convictions, but bends back and forth to whichever conviction places them in a better light for the public view. Yet, just as you've discussed with the term "rigid," possessing the intellectual and moral flexibility to change as one's understanding matures is indeed a strength, not a weakness. Rigidity and flexibility must be understood within context. Ironically, the Church's admonishment of parishioner's rigidness can work against the Church. I am a Roman Catholic who has not been to mass for over two years now. I no longer felt welcomed, regardless of which parish I visited. Mass has changed. The Church wants change. Okay then...here is my change. I don't need the Church. I have my faith, my moral upbringing in the old rigid Catechism. I now find solace in the homilies of Brian Holdsworth and CS Lewis recordings. There is no sense in me remaining in a Church that doesn't want my rigidness. Let me demonstrate my respect by leaving. That is just what I have done...admittedly with a great sadness.

I've understood the term to be a reference to making idols of the faith. Someone who would hold above their interpretation to the condemnation of any other. The upset is when the term is used as a weapon to eat away at orthodoxy or attack opinions which Catholics can differ on.

Can you please make a video regarding NFP and contraception for young Catholics? Again where does rigidity fit in there. Many young Catholics find this one the hardest in that it is the most demanding.

Well said Brian.

Should be a red flag when a so called ecclesiastical in the Catholic Church calls traditional catholics guilty of a sin called rigidity. Tradition and Catholic Faith are inseparable . He's a wolf in vestments. One God, one Faith, one Baptism The same yesterday today and forever.

I guess “judge not lest ye be judged” is what modernists might be basing their condemnation of “rigidity” on. However, they misunderstand Jesus’ admonition. Jesus was warning Pharisees and others that their superior attitude which completely rejected people who they might have, instead, embraced in order to help them come back to the Lord their God; and thus that they were imposing too heavy burdens on God’s people. Jesus was very clear about how perfectly we need to adhere to God’s laws-but that we can CHANGE from a place where people felt there was no use in changing and be welcomed by their Father in Heaven still. Good points Brian!!

As an atheist I do not subscribe to the Christian concept of sin. As for rigidity, that describe some attributes that are good and some that are not. I find it more effective to use terms that are less ambiguous, for example obstinate is a negative form of rigidity, while resolute and unwavering are positive ones. But, that said, I think that the context in which rigidity is used usually implies what is meant by the term. In the example given in the video the intention seems clearly on the negative side. While I understand concerns with calling it a sin because is not declared so in doctrine, I would think that squabbling about word usage serves mainly to avoid dealing with the underlying disagreement.

Isaias 50:7 “...I set my face as a most hard rock: and I know that I shall not be confounded” (DRC). The context is persecution. The question is: Is the TLM being persecuted? I would say yes but this IS the question that needs fleshing out more clearly.🙏

Hi Brian, I was reluctant to click on the video, because I had my ideas about the video, by just looking onto it's subject and I felt rigid in my convictions. It was interesting how while I was listening to it - Bible verses came to mind - many of the same as you have mentioned yourself. In addition to that I've recalled Revelation 2 message "Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus" : " But I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first charity. Be mindful therefore from whence thou art fallen: and do penance, and do the first works. Or else I come to thee, and will move thy candlestick out of its place, except thou do penance.". It's mentioned "thy first charity" and "the first works", it may include also the original worship, original celebration of the Holy Mass and whatever was taught either via letter, or verbally (which beautifully includes oral Tradition). We should also hold fast to whatever was passed down to us through the authority of the Disciples, reject any different Gospel that differs with that, which is pretty rigid too. The Church ought to be sturdy, if the gates of Hell with all unholy fury will not prevail it, ever. Thank you very much for that video, Godspeed.

Cool video keep up the good work

This is, indeed, a very thought provoking topic. From some of the comments I read, I would encourage a 2nd and 3rd viewing of this presentation. It seems that Brian's questioning of "rigidity" is being itself questioned as a code for something else. I think his observation should be taken at face value. His examples and thought process is honest and worthy of consideration. If you are looking to blame someone for confusion and ambivalence in the role of "rigidity" in the Catholic Church, simply look to the administrators. There are many examples that have been noted, but let me add one more: "Rigidity" is supposed to be bad, but the Communist Government of China demands to control who is to be appointed Bishops and our Church administrators agree and enforce that "rigidity. Hmmmm.

The word rigid comes straight from Pope Francis himself, and he's not vague at all: the rigid are those who believe in moral absolutes, the Trads, anyone with serious reservations about the V2 revolution.

Excellent!

3:26…I thought: “Oh, that mattress is shot.” My parent was “rigid” because he was always right and it saved time. God rest his saintly soul. Thank you for the video.

St. Benedict was accused of being Ridged. I’ll take Benedict.

Good video it really does give a insight

I appreciate this very much.

I have shared this with priest and religious and saved it. Extremely beautiful and true.

At 8:00 you make a really good case against the infallibility and indefectability of the Roman Church. Wasn’t it Rome that added to the Creed? Wasn’t it Rome that denies Sacraments to children? I’m not being that serious, but you left yourself open to that.

Who has the authority? The canon law or the opinion ? What does the law says about the resignation of Benedict?

I dont necessarily believe in anything supernatural but i do enjoy hearing your interesting perspective on things and i listen to you a lot. Thanks for a fresh perspective!

“Therefore, brethren, stand fast; and hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word, or by our epistle.” 2nd Thessalonians, verse 15. Certain things we must hold on to.

I believe that what people intuit and call "rigidity" is simply a form of "objectivism" in which the objective knowledge they have about reality even though objective is incomplete and that incomplete understanding debilitates the capacity of increasing the broader understanding of the objective reality as a whole. The wholeness of the Gospel is something that nobody has ever grasped except for Jesus Christ and after him his Mother.

A measured and thorough evaluation. Thank you. From your mouth to the ears of... Sigh. I wonder if there's a similar evaluation to be made about the "sin" of racism.

Most important question: button or clip suspenders?

Of course I stay rigid. Have you ever built a house on jelly?

About being rigid or not, or in-between. "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot. I would thou wert cold or hot. But because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will begin to vomit thee out of my mouth." Revelation 3:15-16

I'm feeling rigid instead of lukewarm. What should I do?

Question: as someone who is involved in music ministry, what is the music in the background at the beginning and the end of each podcast? I hear the chant on tonus peregrinus but would like more info on this particularly beautiful piece. Thanks in advance if you can provide and info😊

Brian, good for you for quoting Pope Pius XII Encyclical Mediator Dei. Have you read it in its entirety? Some say it lays the foundations for Sacrosanctum Concilium ... do you agree with that?

This seems to be the best passage I've found in regards to possible sinfulness of "Rigidity" “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of Him who holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your labor, and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate those who are evil, and you have tested and exposed as liars those who falsely claim to be apostles. Without growing weary, you have persevered and endured many things for the sake of My name. But I have this against you: You have abandoned your first love. Therefore, keep in mind how far you have fallen. Repent and perform the deeds you did at first. But if you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this to your credit: You hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to eat from the tree of life in the Paradise of God. Revelation 2:1-7 The sin is not in remaining strictly holy, but leaving love behind, one who stops acting love and charity is in sin

Dedication and devotion would seem essential. But a key part of my faith is surrender daily to how HE changes me. I can't be a rigid new creation.

I like Bruce Lee's philosophy: to be like water. Water changes its shape depending on what you pour it in. But changing shape is different from changing identity, and if it's no longer water how can it change shape? Blessings ✌️

Brian, I wonder what you think of this: There is a nascent phenomenon in the Church that really underlies this accusation of rigidity towards traditionalists. It's not as malevolent as you might think. That nascent phenom is this: A burgeoning emphasis on understanding or intuiting the boundaries of indulgence. The Orthodox have a very liberal idea of this embodied in their understanding of "economia," and I would say it is excessive. On the other hand, we have struggled to carefully establish an ordered method of applying indulgences that doesn't undermine the "letter of the law." We are confronted by the fact that this has ended up problematic, to say the least... and it only becomes more uncertain given the Church's teaching on moral culpability. From wiki: "In short, economia is a discretionary deviation from the letter of the law in order to adhere to the spirit of the law and charity. This is in contrast to legalism, or akribia (Greek: ακριβεια), which is strict adherence to the letter of the law of the church." And it seems clear, even if we disagree with what people are trying to get away with, that this is in fact, the next phase of doctrinal development for the Church. Doctrinal development is not over... and that is per Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit will reveal the truth about God until the end of the age. We are seeing both rigidity and lawlessness. A good and clear example of rigidity is the Feeneyites, but they have many freelance analogues in the Church... especially amongst traditionalists. And this is just reality.

Excellent incite about rigidity not being in the list of sins.

Rigid is an adjective which can be positive or negative depending upon the context. Rigidly good is good. Rigidly bad is bad. Those saying people are too rigid are being rigidly bad in their misuse of the term rigid.

I am praying to become more and more “rigid”. I want to be as rigid as St Athanasius, St Cyril of Alexandria, St Pius V, St Pius X and any other great orthodox saint. I’m not the slightest bit interested in Pope Francis’ ideas regarding the so-called (non)problem of “rigidity”!

Francis, the heretic: "I will squeeze the rigidity out of you."

God Bless

Passion or obsession could be described by two different people to describe the same action(s) of a third person. It's use is subjective. Rigid or Steadfast. I guess pride and harsh judgement could play a role from either side though (I see this has been addressed at the end)? If there are charismatic Catholics and more analytical Catholics maybe there is room for both to make leeway in the other camp, the same could be said for this apparent divide?

does anyone know any good books ( maybe by a catholic author) on Joan of Arc i was listening to Joan of Arc: A Life Transfigured by Kathryn Harrison but im barley 2 chapters in and its way to blasphemous for me

"Rigid" is a word with negative connotations used to describe a tendency to strictly adhere to the rules or to exhibit an unthinking devotion to doctrines when it is obvious that a more lenient interpretation of the rules or doctrines is more humane or can have clear benefits for the person or the system. The word "lax" or "permissive" can describe the opposite end of that condition. Is lax or permissive better than rigid? Implicit in the use of the word "rigid" is the idea that the rules or doctrines in question were not meant to be strictly adhered to. They are more like guidelines even if the intention of the enactor is clear and is expressed in a clear, unambiguous way. Another implicit argument in the use of the word "rigid" is that the person who wants a more lenient or lax application of the rule or doctrine has the right and authority to apply the rules or doctrine that way. In addition, to suggest that the rules should be interpreted loosely or in a lax or permissive way suggests that the critic is of the opinion that the rules or doctrines were flawed in the first place and thus deserve to not be strictly adhered to or even more importantly, should be changed. It is very clear of course that a lax or permissive interpretation is just a prelude to a change in rules or doctrine but their proponents do not as yet dare to declare that goal openly. In that sense is very disingenuous and dishonest.

Great as always. Rockin the Amish look?!!

Truth doesn't change.

I rigidly say no to Cell phones, felt banners, and 30 Eucharistic ministers….

Trying to find this video using the proper keywords only to find this below the bottom of the search results. As if KZfaq is trying to banish this video to the Shadow Realm.

I pray every day for Jorge Bergolio and for each one of his ilk to seek & to be converted to the splendor of the purity of the Catholic faith. May they someday find Christ to be their Lord & Savior, then hold firm to the rigid reality of our Redeemer. May Mama Mary lead them to her Son.

Rigidity is not a sin; it's only a "sin" against modernism and humanism.

What about Savonarola he might have been rigid in an unhealthy way?

I see the "bad rigidity" on two levels... ONE: the expression "fullness of Truth" should not be mistaken for "finished Truth". This would deny that the Truth (God) will always be an inapprehensible mystery. The result would be some kind of Christian ideology, based on a legit but yet limited insight into God... an insight that is erected into an all-explanatory absolute (eg. someone who only accepts Aquinas' theology). This is pretentious and idolatric, because rather than seeking Truth, we are more attatched to our valid yet poor insight into an infinite mystery. TWO: a lack of understanding of how morals work. On one hand, we have PRINCIPLES which are unchanging, and on the other hand the realm of PRUDENCE which is the practical application of those principles to a myriad of different situations. One is more concerned with theoretical reason, while the other is concerned with practical reason. The first one is more of a science, while the second one is more of an art. A good example is the case method in business schools, where an optimal solution to a single problem is never reached, because there isn't one... but everyone contributes their viewpoint relying on the same reasonable principles. Now RULES are the PRUDENTIAL APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLES TO THE MOST USUAL SITUATIONS, and because of that, RULES HAVE EXCEPTIONS. That is, different situations (than the usual) demand that the same unchanging principle be applied differently... otherwise the principle itself would be violated. Rigidity results from confusing RULES with PRINCIPLES. Principles have no exceptions, but rules do.

Does the church have a softened opinion about abortion..? Even during Vatican 2 there was no change. But some bishops held different opinions .

Is being scrupulous a sin? We are called to treasure nothing on earth but only that which can be taken to heaven. The pearls of virtues and mercy.