Credo

Pretty please, with sugar on top?

2009-10-23T15:19:00.002-04:00

"What is to prevent other denominations from following Rome’s lead? For example, what if the Anglican Communion set up a Catholic wing where those Roman Catholics who believe in the ordination of women and same-sex loving clergy could be Anglicans of the Roman Catholic Rite?" (source)

Nothing is preventing them, really and hopefully some will. The more non-Catholic Catholics that leave the Catholic Church, the better. As I like to say, at least Luther had the courtesy to leave the Church...these people are a little too self-centered for that, regrettably.

Here's where people -- at least people who write articles like this -- are missing the point. This is not a move to increase attendance or fill the coffers. By assuming so, they are projecting their own beliefs about what a church should be onto this decision.

Sadly, many of the mouth breathers out there writing this kind of drivel, do not understand that a church, a real church, is basically a like-minded group of people who believe the same thing about God, not simply a group of people who have banded together for a purely political, earthly cause or because they want a place to drop off their kids for "date night" that doesn't have "too many rules".

That said, if these people believe a common thing about God, they should seek each other out, rather than trying to change an existent institution. God bless them, every one.

Union of Brest-Litovsk, 21st Century Style...

2009-10-20T21:15:00.007-04:00

Today's announcement of an Apostolic Constitution aimed at accommodating long-suffering Anglicans is welcome news.

Why?

Several reasons:

It is truly ecumenical, but not in the way most dreamy, fringe Catholics -- like Cardinal Kasper -- will understand. For most modernist Catholics, their definition of ecumenism is, "What 'unnecessary' aspects of Catholicism can we give up to be more like the people at Bob and Marge's social club they call a church? They have such a good time at their services and the baby sitting co-op is to die for!" These are the "nice people" crowd..."As long as you're a nice person, it doesn't matter where you go to church!" Well, grab a dictionary and look up the word nice. You'll note is originates from the Latin verb nescire, which means "not to know". Now, that being the case, you won't be so eager to hear someone say, "Jane, your kids are sooooooo nice!" or "You are the nicest person in our cul de sac, Fred!" will you?

Lastly, it puts the notion of ecumenism being Catholics and Orthodox changing to be like modernist, secular Protestants (God love them...) on it's ear. Hopefully for good. Why even the "Spirit of Vatican II" crowd doesn't read the part of Lumen Gentium -- one of the few dogmatic proclamations of Vatican II -- that says, "This Church constituted and organized in the world as a society, subsists in the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him, although many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside of its visible structure. These elements, as gifts belonging to the Church of Christ, are forces impelling toward catholic unity."

It is counter-intuitive, and will throw most modernist Catholics, particularly the activist ones, off balance. In fact, I am already seeing "Crewman Norman" behavior from the expected mass media sources, including Time, New York Times, etc. If you don't recall that beloved Star Trek episode, I, Mudd, where Norman melts down, refresh your memory at youtube. To summarize, if people think one thing is true, then have to deal with an opposite truth, well, they tend to melt down. Let me develop this line of thinking further...

Modernist proposition #1: "Ratzinger is der Panzer Papst." Panzers don't finesse, they flatten. Benedict is a brilliant theologian and much more intelligent than his opponents in his own Curia, despite allegations of being politically naive by many. The solution that he has approved for the Anglicans seeking relief is, frankly, rather progressive. Rather than "parking Roman tanks on the Archbishop of Canterbury's lawn" and forcing any interested Anglicans to cross the Tiber on crocodiles' backs, he and his closest advisers applied their knowledge of the Gospels, Tradition and Canon Law to find a charitable solution to a problem that nobody else could envision, namely, dedicated ordinariates for Anglicans. Allowing returning brethren to retain their liturgical practices and clergy, with the outstanding questions of how bishops and ordinaries will differ, of course, is not conversion by the sword.

Modernist proposition #2: "Since any Anglican priest who redeems this offer can be married, now they'll have to allow married priests in the Catholic Church!" This is an interesting one, since the Catholic Church already allows married priests. Yes, Georgia, there are hundreds of married priests in the Catholic Church, you just don't know as much about your Church as you should. For centuries now, the Oriental Churches, also know as Eastern Catholics, have allowed married clergy. Yes, centuries. And yes, they are Catholic. I haven't audited this article about Eastern Churches, but the info should be close enough for you to get the point. Further, nearly 30 years ago, John Paul II created a Pastoral Provision in the United States to allow for the acceptance and training of Episcopal clergy who wished to enter the Catholic Church. So this idea isn't so new or radical, is it? You just weren't paying attention, with us kicking the USSR's tail in Lake Placid, were you? Most large cities have an Eastern Rite Church that holds Divine Liturgy every Sunday, but I see very few Catholics interested in married clergy seeking them out. I wonder why? The sacraments are the same and the communities are very welcoming to Latin Rite Catholics. Confession and Communion can generally be shared on your first visit and services are generally in English, almost exclusively, in fact.

Could it be that these persons are less interested in the diversity of Catholicism than the diversity of Modernism and its convenience? (hint, hint...) Again, it's a free country, but if you are saying you want X, don't reject X when it is in your midst. If you want Y, don't let the door hit you on your way out to seek Y.

It is merciful. Mercy is not exclusive of giving people who have material needs material things. There are spiritual and corporal works of mercy, some aspects of which are reflected in this act. Specifically:

Instruct the uninformed: By putting this pastoral solution into the "marketplace of ideas" some will learn that the Church is truly a welcoming mother, not the spoiled queen she is often portrayed as. She welcomes all who will accept her embrace and the Truth she offers. If one person finds peace as a result this act, it is of inestimable value.

Comfort the sorrowful: Thousands of Anglicans have been cast aside by their denomination as being "out of date", "not with the times", "nostalgic" or even "stupid" because they truly believe the message of Christ as handed down from their fathers and their fathers before them, while the so called leadership of their denomination pursue policies built on sand, rather than rock.

Matthew 7:24-25 -- "Every one therefore that heareth these my words, and doth them, shall be likened to a wise man that built his house upon a rock, And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded on a rock."

Modernism is worse than sand, it is more like a vapor. You can feel its presence when it arrives, but before you know it, it has passed and is gone.

It proves the wisdom of Galatians 6:8 -- "For what things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap. For he that soweth in his flesh, of the flesh also shall reap corruption. But he that soweth in the spirit, of the spirit shall reap life everlasting."

For a time, Henry VIII, founder of the Church of England, was called "The Defender of the Faith" for his defense of the Church during the initial stages of the Reformation. His lust eventually separated him and his nation from the Church. This pursuit of the material world has logically run its course and spent itself, to the point where the overwhelming majority of those considering themselves Anglicans have lost any contact with the spiritual aspects of their faith and have unhesitatingly embraced doctrines preoccupied with the physical and sexual aspects of their being, just as Henry VIII did nearly five centuries ago.

Henry's act created a generation of martyrs. I pray that this act may inspire a generation of saints.

Pax tecum.

Thrust in thy sickle, and reap

2009-05-31T16:23:00.003-04:00

"Be not deceived, God is not mocked. For what things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap. For he that soweth in his flesh, of the flesh also shall reap corruption. But he that soweth in the spirit, of the spirit shall reap life everlasting." (Galatians 6:7-8)

2 + 2 Does Equal 4, Gracie

2009-05-12T13:12:00.002-04:00

"He was a hero for liberal Catholics nationwide because of his work on social justice and other issues."

Not to mention his crappy taste in music and liturgical practice...

Der Abschaum

2009-02-16T23:09:00.006-05:00

Noch, Schwein im Österreich...

"General criticism of the Vatican is also being heard from high-ranking Austrian clerics such as Salzburg's Archbishop Alois Kothgasser.

"Although he declined to comment directly on Wagner's nomination, Kothgasser warned in a recent statement about the future of the church.

"Should the Catholic Church be shrunk to the point where it's like a cult, with only a few members that toe the official line?" Kothgasser asked."

Well, quite frankly...yes! I'd imagine the Romans considered the original apostles as cultists, ja?

A Frog Went A Courting, He Did Ride

2009-01-01T19:41:00.001-05:00

The French Revolution, as seen from under the rock:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/3964724/Vende-French-call-for-revolution-massacre-to-be-termed-genocide.html

If you threw 100 nice people into a room

2008-11-16T11:12:00.003-05:00

You wouldn't call it a religion...

Not unless you're theologically and culturally bereft.

This from the otherwise inspiring people at TED: the "Charter For Compassion". They even have a heretic nun on their "Council of Sages". Bravo.

And it's so inspiring to know that Forest Whittaker and Cameron Diaz are on board. That makes all the difference.

Viva!

2008-10-31T22:41:00.002-04:00

Saw this referenced on Father Z's tonight. This type of thing is the trickle down effect of the great example set by our current Holy Father. It stands in direct contrast to the dreamy, pseudo-utopian musings of so called Catholics, unfortunately including many of the ordained, whose putrefied logic defies explanation and tradition.

"It might be a perception that my boldness regarding pro-abortion politicians is courageous but in truth I only follow the lead of those who exemplify a boldness far greater than my own. The bold speaking out on the part of Archbishop Raymond Burke regarding the contentious issue of Catholic pro-abortion politicians and Holy communion emboldens cowards like me to follow his example. The firm and measured response of Cardinal Egan and a variety of other Archbishops and Bishops to misleading statements of the Speaker of the House emboldens others, like myself, to shake off the shackles of fear and to stand with them." (source)

More Idiots

2008-10-24T10:25:00.002-04:00

Hey, I may be going to purgatory, but at least I'll be able to save these idiots a seat: knightsforobama.org

Note, I don't think they're idiots for voting for Obama...it's a free country, vote for the candidate you want to win the election.

Rather, I believe they are idiots for lingering. The immaturity and lack of sense people like this demonstrate by remaining within a Church that is historically and fundamentally something they don't appear to agree with is mystifying.

Please go and take your rotten, wishy-washy, Peaches & Herb music with you. I don't need a synthesiser solo during the elevation. And you know who you are, you dopes!

Not in my House

2008-10-23T20:16:00.009-04:00

"And when he had made, as it were, a scourge of little cords, he drove them all out of the temple, the sheep also and the oxen, and the money of the changers he poured out, and the tables he overthrew." (John 2:15)

Now, let's fast forward approximately two thousand years:

"No USCCB document is relevant in this diocese. The USCCB doesn't speak for me." These are the words attributed to Bishop Joseph Martino of Scranton. Can it be?

After decades of attempting to substitute its voice for the canonically lawful authority of a bishop in his own diocese, after decades of play-acting as the de jure representative of the Church Militant, after decades of mouthing watered down modernist claptrap and presenting it as the voice of the American church (as if some such entity existed!), after decades of failing to speak with the conviction and confidence of the Church founded by Christ on Calvary, can it be that an American bishop finally has the sand to publicly call "Bullshit"? (my words, not his...)

Let's hope so, especially at this time in our country's history.

It about time that a bishop stood up and stated what was obvious for generations and centuries...in a diocese, a bishop is only subordinate to his ordinary: the Bishop of Rome. No one speaks on behalf of the Roman Church in a diocese except for a bishop or his appointed representative.

Translation for the emotionally impaired: No collection of accountants, claims adjusters, musically untalented choir directors, poorly formed musicians, pseudo liturgists, hand-holding-and-ring-forming-group pray-ers, none ignorant and/or contemptuous of Holy Mother Church and it's traditions, no let's-just-all-get-along-we're-really-not-so-different-none-of-this-is-real-anyway-it's-just-a-"custom"-forced-on-us-by-dead-European-men-so-why-bother? heretics speak for Her.

Imperfect as Her children and representatives may have been, are or will be, She is the spotless Bride of Christ. Those members who consider Her to be otherwise, who see Her as no more than a social club, a place to "belong" or an agent for "social justice", are rejecting -- willfully or through their own ignorance -- the salvific nature granted to Her by Christ Jesus.

At least Luther had the courtesy to not let the door hit him on the way out. Let's hope these squatters wake up and move on.

Lastly, if they don't have the courtesy to do so, may our bishops have the grace to do their best Aretha Franklin impersonation to get the word to the street.

p.s. Ihr Seid Nicht Kirche...

Our birthright

2008-10-12T00:30:00.003-04:00

"For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice: and the knowledge of God more than holocausts. But they, like Adam, have transgressed the covenant, there have they dealt treacherously against me. Galaad is a city of workers of idols, supplanted with blood. And like the jaws of highway robbers, they conspire with the priests who murder in the way those that pass out Sichem: for they have wrought wickedness. I have seen a horrible thing in the house of Israel: the fornications of Ephraim there: Israel is defiled." (Prophecy Of Osee 6:6-10)

Zarathustra: "And a heavy drop am I"

2008-08-25T23:14:00.001-04:00

"Before a storm goeth lightning: and before shamefacedness goeth favour: and for thy reverence good grace shall come to thee." (Ecclesiasticus 32:14)

No Room at the Inn for the Extraordinary Form?

2008-08-18T20:50:00.003-04:00

"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him up in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn." (Luke 2:7)

To fail at hospitality, is to fail in charity. To fail in charity is to fail Our Lord, Jesus Christ. St. Paul said to the Corinthians, "And now there remain faith, hope, and charity, these three: but the greatest of these is charity."

Aural Abortion

2008-04-17T22:38:00.003-04:00

Folks, I've heard some bad music at Mass before, but today's Moonie Monstrosity at Nationals Stadium has to take the cake.

I half expected Jake and Elwood to come bounding down the aisle and James Brown to start belting out Livin in America! (of course I know he's dead, but you know what I mean...)

I'm not sure who is officially responsible for this noise, but if you want to reach out and touch someone, here's a list of everyone available in the Archdiocese of the Beltway.

Email and call early and often!

Oremus

2008-02-05T23:25:00.000-05:00

Sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in praelio. Contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium. Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecamur. Tuque princeps militiae caelestis, Satanam aliosque spiritus malignos, qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo divina virtute in infernum detrude. Amen.

I thought limes were sweet?

2008-01-01T14:11:00.001-05:00

But this Limey appears sour and dour...

See this article about the big bad Poles rocking the boat in Limey Land.

What a contrast with the US, where Bishops would likely sell off church property to get a 50-seat enterprise license for Rosetta Stone to teach their priests a foreign language!

As President Clinton might have said if he were Pope, "It's the language, stupid."

Can anyone be surprised? The Brits have been screwing the Poles since 1939, if not before then, so it's hard to have my loathing for these people spike based on a report like this.

The New York Times on Latin

2007-12-05T11:55:00.000-05:00

What's that about 100 monkies with 100 typewriters?

"Because Latin is a dead language, not in a constant state of flux as living languages are, there’s no wriggle room in translating. If you haven’t understood exactly what a particular word means or how a grammatical rule works, you are likely to be, not off, but just plain wrong." (source)

This should be written on the board of every seminary classroom!

You Say You Want a Revolution?

2007-12-02T22:38:00.000-05:00

"Christianity did not bring a message of social revolution like that of the ill-fated Spartacus, whose struggle led to so much bloodshed. Jesus was not Spartacus, he was not engaged in a fight for political liberation like Barabbas or Bar-Kochba. Jesus, who himself died on the Cross, brought something totally different: an encounter with the Lord of all lords, an encounter with the living God and thus an encounter with a hope stronger than the sufferings of slavery, a hope which therefore transformed life and the world from within." (source: Encyclical Letter Spe Salvi)

Just in time for Advent: Una Voce Carmel

2007-11-30T22:11:00.000-05:00

Talk about a stocking stuffer...

Last week, a new Una Voce chapter was founded within the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana: Una Voce Carmel.

Despite the name, membership in the organization is open to anyone in the diocese, although the initial focus will be on getting the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite celebrated somewhere within the well-populated Carmel Deanery, which includes the towns of Carmel, Noblesville, Fishers, Westfield, Cicero and Zionsville. Members are being recruited from other parts of the diocese to initiate a similar program of action in their locales.

Clerics and other religious may join the organization free of charge.

A website is available at www.uvcarmel.org, which includes a free subscription to get email updates.

The Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana & Una Voce, Part II

2007-11-20T18:52:00.001-05:00

An update for everyone...

There is currently a verbal agreement among a number of people to found an Una Voce chapter within the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana. We have had initial communication with Una Voce America on the requirements to do so.

While no timetable is in place at the moment, the expectation is that we will move quickly to get something in place before year's end, if not sooner.

Below is an open letter, intended to reach out to all those Catholics within the Diocese of Lafayette, from Carmel to Kokomo and from Monticello to Muncie, who are interested in joining with us.

A list of parishes within the diocese can be found here.

Specifically, we would like to hear from anyone at St. Mary's in Muncie, as we know you have been "fighting the good fight" for some time now.

###

I'd like to once again advocate the founding of an Una Voce chapter for our diocese.

Rather than going into a long narrative, I'd ask everyone to consider the following advantages to founding an Una Voce chapter:

Founded in 1964, Una Voce is the oldest Catholic lay organization advocating the traditional Mass and sacraments.
Una Voce has member organizations on six continents, including more than 60 chapters in the United States.
Una Voce America recently implemented a priest training program in cooperation with the Fraternity of St. Peter to teach priests the Extraordinary form, which has been "sold out" for each session they've held.
A low financial and organizational barrier to entry. A mere $50 fee to establish the chapter (taken from the collected membership fees as established by the board) and align with the national organization. Membership fees and chapter meeting times are established and scheduled at the discretion of the board/members. We can establish a new chapter with less than ten members if necessary.
Instant "legitimacy". By that I mean, Una Voce is an internationally recognized and respected lay organization that has long-existing contacts with many local ordinaries in our region, with members of the Roman Curia and even the Holy Father himself. Taking a more novel organizational approach towards acquiring what are now our canonical rights according to Summorum Pontificum will likely require a more arduous financial and public relations effort on our part...and may meet with even more skepticism from our diocese than we're already facing.
The ability to coordinate our efforts with other like-minded Catholics in our diocese.

###

I'd ask anyone interested in joining us, "getting in on the ground floor" so to speak, contact us at the email address below:

(unavoce @ michaelectric.com -- please remove the blank spaces around the @ sign, which I've included in an attempt to thwart spammers)

The Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana & Una Voce

2007-11-03T22:28:00.000-04:00

While cold weather may be about to hit central Indiana, the blogging world is certainly warm, if not hot, with regard to to something posted over at Father Z's about our fair diocese...

A simple report about a news story -- redacted by the editorial staff at The Catholic Moment -- has brought some passionate replies.

Based on some of the comments, both pro and con the usus antiquor, in that post, not to mention the response some lay folk have received from parish priests when requesting the Latin Mass in this diocese over the years, methinks it may be time to up the ante in our quest for a more widespread use of the extraordinary form of the Roman rite.

Should we write more letters? Make more phone calls? Join a parish and just hope for the best? It hasn't worked so far, so it's hard to believe we don't need a change of tack to be successful.

One way to gain instant "muscle", so to speak, would be to found a local chapter of Una Voce.

Not only would this help to better organize some of the excellent individual efforts being made across the diocese, but also let us lay persons in the diocese avail themselves of the reputation and resources of the oldest lay movement dedicated to the Church's liturgical heritage.

So, all you traddies out there north of Indy, south of San Pierre and east of Otterbein...quo vadis?

Dicit ei Pilatus: quid est veritas?

2007-10-24T20:42:00.000-04:00

"In the judgment of Fr. Rosa – and of Pius X – modernism was "a new form of Christianity that threatened to overwhelm the ancient one." To oppose it, it had to be struck at its philosophical root, the error from which sprung all the other errors in theology, morality, culture, and practical life. The fundamental error attributed to the modernists was that of denying the capacity of reason to know the truth, thereby reducing everything – including religion, and including Christianity – to subjective experience." (source)

Read Pascendi Dominici Gregis for yourself (English) at the Vatican website.

Gregorian Chant Weekend Workshop in Kokomo!

2007-10-20T23:10:00.001-04:00

I recently submitted my registration form for this exciting event and plan to provide updates and a review of the sessions as things progress.

Direct from the St. Patrick's (Kokomo, Indiana in the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana) parish bulletin:

The St. Patrick Schola is hosting a Gregorian Chant Workshop on Friday, November 9 and Saturday, November 10 in the parish hall. The presenter, Amy Zuberbueler, is Director of the Ward Center of San Antonio, whose mission is to teach the Solesmes Method of Gregorian Chant and Ward Method of Music Instruction. The workshop, which runs from 6:00 to 9:00 pm on November 9 and from 8:30 to 5:00 pm on Saturday, November 10, culminates with the 5:30 Vigil Mass, during which the participants will sing what they have learned. No musical training or experience is required, so please come join us for a fun-filled and educational weekend.

Registration brochures can be downloaded from St. Patrick or St. Joan websites: www.stpatrickkokomo. org or www.saintjoan.org. The cost for the workshop is $80, which includes the Book, A Gregorian Chant Master Class by Dr. Theodore Maurier, a $30 value. Breakfast and lunch will be provided on Saturday.

For more information, email Maddalena Nelson at: maddalena.nelson @ gmail.com

Habemus Papam — in spades...

2007-08-19T19:08:00.000-04:00

Picked this up over at one of my favorite blogs, Rorate Caeli.

Wow.

This Holy Father shall truly merit calls of santo subito one day!

NPR: Newspeak on Latin Mass

2007-07-18T23:33:00.000-04:00

I recently contacted NPR about a report aired on the July 8 episode of Sunday Edition, "Pope Benedict Eases Restrictions on Mass".

Sylvia Poggioli says, at 1:47 into the four minute report, "In what was considered one of it's most important reforms, Vatican II allowed the priest to face and celebrate with the faithful..."

Unfortunately, this is one of the most common fallacies circulating regarding the recommended liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council. The realignment of the priest from an ad orientem to versus populum posture is neither called for by Sacrosanctum Concilium nor any of the other documents issued and endorsed by the Council.

That being the case, I submitted the following feedback to NPR via their website's "Contact Us" form:

"I have long listened to and enjoyed the commentary of Sylvia Poggioli on NPR, but have to call her out on an error of fact in the story, "Pope Benedict Eases Restrictions on Mass", aired July 8 during Weekend Edition Sunday. The Second Vatican Councils document on liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium -- whose text is available on the Vatican website in multiple languages -- never mentioned, let alone authorized a reversal of the ad orientem position -- that is, the priest facing the altar -- during Mass. This innovation was implemented by those who took the legitimate liturgical reforms intended by the Council well past the boundaries outlined in its documents."

I admit, having written many letters to the editor in my lifetime, I didn't necessarily expect a reply to my comment...it was more of a "get it off my chest" moment, which has merit in its own right, at times.

Then, as an old comedian once said, "A funny thing happened to me on my way to the extraordinary form of the Roman rite..." — a reply from a live human being at NPR! Now that's service, or so I thought...

Even sadder than the misinformation provided in the original story however, was the evasion of the facts in the reply they sent, the text of which is included below:

Thank you for contacting NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday. In the story about Pope Benedict, Sylvia Poggioli never actually stated that the Vatican II allowed for the priest to face the people; she simply says that the "Vatican II allowed the priest to faith and celebrate with the faithful who became much more active in the mass." Poggioli does comment on how 16th century Tridentine masses were held, stating that, "the priest faces the altar, spoke in Latin, often in a whisper, and had no contact with the faithful." We are always delighted to hear from listeners. As the primary news source for millions of Americans, it is our hope that the information provided will be both enlightening and suitable to your request. Should you have additional questions regarding your inquiry, please contact NPR Services at (202) 513-3232.

I'm assuming a veteran reporter of Sylvia's quality (sic) would not say "Vatican II allowed the priest to faith and celebrate with the faithful..." — that doesn't even make sense. Now, maybe if it were Sylvester the Cat replying...

That being the case, I've decided to continue my dialogue with NPR. That's what a good Vatican II Catholic is supposed to do, isn't it?

I submitted following reply...we'll see if they bite. If so, I'll be sure to provide an update. Until then, check out the audio clip and let me know if I am right or if I need to get fitted for an Ampli Ear.

Dear NPR Services, That isn't accurate...Sylvia does in fact state this. Go back and listen to the audio clip online. At 1:47 into the clip, Sylvia says, and I quote, "In what was considered one of it's most important reforms, Vatican II allowed the priest to face and celebrate with the faithful..." "In what was considered...one of it's most important reforms, Vatican II..." -- that is direct attribution of this orientation (to face...the faithful) when in fact the Council never stated or permitted this in any of its documents. I challenge anyone to present an official text of the Second Vatican Council to support this assertion! Is this NPR or Fox News?

¿Que Paso? — Bishop Higi Responds

2007-07-16T21:18:00.000-04:00

Finally, a statement from the Diocese of Lafayette in Indiana regarding Summorum Pontificum!

And it does not dissapoint...in fact, it is just as bad as could be expected. Read on...Crucis' comments in bold.

###

Pope Benedict XVI's relaxation of restrictions on the use of the Latin Mass leaves unanswered questions regarding the actual practice, says Bishop William L. Higi.

The pope's directive was issued July 7 to bishops worldwide.

When interviewed by The Catholic Moment, Bishop Higi said he understands the Holy Father's desire to retain the Tridentine Mass as an extraordinary part of Catholic liturgy, and is fully supportive, but he questions whether it will be possible to provide it in the Local Church.

["And in one, holy, catholic and apostolic church"...taken from the Nicene Creed, the basic statement of Christian belief used in the Catholic church...catholic comes from "catholicos" = Greek for "universal", not sure where the "local" part comes in]

By letter, Bishop Higi asked priests across the diocese to wait to see how procedural details are addressed by the Secretariat for the Liturgy of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

["For such celebrations, with either one Missal or the other, the priest has no need for permission from the Apostolic See or from his Ordinary." — and certainly not the USCCB — but if the author of this article was semi-sentient, the would know a document from the USCCB does exist and came out the same day as the motu proprio]

The pope noted that use of the 1962 Missal "presupposes a certain degree of liturgical formation and some knowledge of the Latin language; neither of these is found very often."

Bishop Higi, who was ordained in 1959, agreed.

"Even though I celebrated the Tridentine Mass for several years I would no longer be able to do so using the Roman Missal of 1962 (the required text) without significant study of the rubrics and a refresher course in Latin," he said. "I suspect that is true of most if not all priests of the diocese.

[A reasonable assesment of the situation on the ground in the diocese]

"In this Local Church, pastoral sensitivity suggests an indepth study of Spanish rather than Latin," he said.

[But won't that require a "significant study" of...Spanish? Crucis suspects this is true of "most if not all priests" of the diocese.]

The pope's directive states that a priest must be qualified to celebrate Latin masses before he can celebrate one. But it sheds no light on who decides those qualifications.

The 1962 Missal also requires the use of altar boys – not girls – and they must be capable of responding to the celebrant in Latin. Choirs also probably would have to be trained in Gregorian chant, Bishop Higi said. The 1962 calendar would be followed, because no mixture of the 1962 missal and the current missal will be allowed. Only one form of Communion would be available.

[I assume the Diocesan Liturgical Committee could manage that.]

Pope Benedict XVI said that any priest, without further permission, could celebrate the Latin Mass without the people at almost any time, and that laypeople could be admitted if they spontaneously requested to do so. It remains unclear whether such a Mass could be scheduled.

[No, the document said, "on any day with the exception of the Easter Triduum". So if we do the math, 365 - 3 = 362 days of the year or 99.17% of the time. OK, so I'm nitpicking, but 99.17% of the time seems a little more than "almost any time", doesn't it?]

The pope's directive states that where any group of parishioners attached to the Latin Mass "exists stably" it may request a pastor to offer one. Apparently, when only one Sunday Mass is offered, Latin may not be used.

[Maybe when they are done with Spanish class, the author of this document could take an English grammar course. The motu proprio reads, "In parishes, where there is a 'stable group of faithful' who adhere to the earlier liturgical tradition, the pastor should willingly accept their requests to celebrate the Mass according to the rite of the Roman Missal published in 1962, and ensure that the welfare of these faithful harmonises with the ordinary pastoral care of the parish, under the guidance of the bishop in accordance with canon 392, avoiding discord and favouring the unity of the whole Church." — so I'm not sure where the quotes around "exists stably" come from?]

No definition of "group" or "exists stably" was offered.

[Try Merriam-Webster's online...it suggests a group is, among other less human-oriented definitions, "a number of individuals assembled together or having some unifying relationship". As far as their concocted "exists stably" is concerned, I don't know what the hell that means either!]

As bright as a spec of coal dust

2007-07-13T23:22:00.001-04:00

Time to call the Bud Light marketing team...we have another candidate for their "Real Men of Genius" ad campaign.

This gem comes from The Record in Sherbrooke, Quebec.

In an online article titled, "Latin? No requests so far", Father Charles Hamel at St. Anthony's in Lennoxville walks right into a newsprint uppercut...and I quote:

"Father Charles Hamel at St. Anthony's in Lennoxville said that he didn't anticipate parishioners approaching him to say the mass in Latin, nor would he necessarily be obligated to if asked.

Hamel believes the decision to stop celebrating the mass in Latin in the 1960s was made for good reasons, and liturgical delivery has improved ever since.

Since the 1960s, the Catholic mass has been rewritten into modern languages and substantially reworked, most notably by turning the priest around at the altar to face the people, rather than toward the cross representing God.

"In my opinion, (a Latin mass) is not really a good idea, theoretically," Hamel said. "The most important thing is to be in communion with the Lord.""

Get I get a great big double DOH on this one, please?

So, either through Pulitzer Prize-class cunning on behalf of the article's author, or by a happy twist of fate, we learn in back to back paragraphs that:

"Since the 1960s, the Catholic mass has been rewritten into modern languages and substantially reworked, most notably by turning the priest around at the altar to face the people, rather than toward the cross representing God."
In Father Hamel's opinion, "The most important thing is to be in communion with the Lord."

Where to begin?

How in the $#^! does turning "to face the people" and thus, necessarily AWAY from God, bring one closer to, "...communion with the Lord", as the good Father advises?

Broadening the use of the extraordinary form of the Latin Rite (or how I learned to love the Roman Missal)

2007-07-08T14:21:00.000-04:00

For the longest time, the goal of most traditionally-minded Catholics, at least liturgically, was to get approval for a "Latin Mass" in their diocese. Doing so, considering the poorly defined instructions of the Ecclesia Dei document of John Paul II, was usually a major achievement that involved a good deal of heart ache and compromise.

Personally speaking, my bishop, is gracious enough to allow one instance of what is now, thanks to Summorum Pontificum, the extraordinary form of the Roman rite — on a Monday night, approximately 50 miles from my home. I can hear him at the pearly gates, doing his best President Clinton imitation, under cross examination from St. Peter..."It depends on what your definition of generous is..." Oy. This being the case, I make a run for the border into the diocese just south of mine, which is thankfully only a 35 mile drive, for Sunday Mass.

Well, now that the cat is out of the bag about the old Mass never really being abrogated — and with the memory of an illicit denial of our birthright for the past 40-odd years still burned upon our psyches — what do we do?

The first thing to do is listen. Listen to what is being said in your local parish, even if you are not a member. Be attentive to what is being written in your diocesan newspaper and website.

Of course, for most of us, we will be lucky to hear the bongo tapping dreck that infests most chanceries whispering "My bad!" over the din of their Dixie Land liturgies. But note, that will be a step forward for most of them.

After listening, then what? Speak. And do so charitably.

Contact the pastor of the parish closest to your home and ask, "In light of the Holy Father's document regarding the liturgy (which is may be handy to have on hand, should he not have seen it yet) will you be adding the extraordinary form of the Mass to the weekly (or daily) Mass schedule?"

If he says yes or he'd like to or isn't sure, do anything you can to help him. Finance a trip to a "Latin Mass boot camp" put on by the Fraternity of St. Peter or get him training materials from another source, like the "Mass kit" from the Society of St. Pius X. Be charitable and encouraging under all circumstances.

If he reacts poorly...be charitable and encouraging. Show him that this Mass isn't a bogey waiting to eat him alive. Move on to the next closest parish...rinse, repeat.

As Bruce Lee said:

"Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way round or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.

Be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water my friend."

So grasshopper, in conclusion...during the pre-motu proprio days, the goal was one Latin Mass per diocese.

Summorum Pontificum has leveled the playing field...so in the short term, the goal should be one Latin Mass per deanery. If your bishop doesn't agree, appeal to his progressive side. Think of the reduction in green house gases if we only have drive 5 miles to Mass instead of 35?

Cardinal Ricard — aka Mr. Obvious

2007-07-07T17:03:00.000-04:00

An excerpt from a New York Times piece regarding Summorum Pontificum:

Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, chairman of the bishops’ conference in France, where the opposition to the wider use of the Mass was strongest, told reporters that he did not expect many more requests for the Latin Mass. “I don’t see a tsunami coming,” he said, according to Agence France-Presse.

Ya think not? Well then, a big gold star for you, your Eminence!

Requests won't be coming in any longer, since they aren't necessary! As a member of the Ecclesia Dei commission, I'd hope you picked up on Article 2, "...the priest has no need for permission from the Apostolic See or from his Ordinary."

In the words of the Guinness guys, "Brilliant!"

Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum of Benedict XVI — Letter to the Bishops

2007-07-07T08:08:00.000-04:00

Twenty-one years after my first exposure to the Archbishop...I never throught I'd live to see this day.

Below are some highlights from its introductory letter. Note the text of the motu proprio itself is available in an English translation at Rorate Coeli. Of course, you can always get the Latin version, too.

"The present Norms are also meant to free Bishops from constantly having to evaluate anew how they are to respond to various situations."
"Should some problem arise which the parish priest cannot resolve, the local Ordinary will always be able to intervene, in full harmony, however, with all that has been laid down by the new norms of the Motu Proprio."
"As for the use of the 1962 Missal as a Forma extraordinaria of the liturgy of the Mass, I would like to draw attention to the fact that this Missal was never juridically abrogated and, consequently, in principle, was always permitted."
"What earlier generations held as sacred, remains sacred and great for us too, and it cannot be all of a sudden entirely forbidden or even considered harmful. It behooves all of us to preserve the riches which have developed in the Church’s faith and prayer, and to give them their proper place."
"Let us always be mindful of the words of the Apostle Paul addressed to the presbyters of Ephesus: "Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the Church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own Son" (Acts 20:28)."

What's equally as interesting, and will hopefully be read by those same brother bishops this letter is aimed at, are the lines immediately following that selection from Acts:

"I know that, after my departure, ravening wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock. And of your own selves shall arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 31 Therefore watch, keeping in memory, that for three years I ceased not, with tears to admonish every one of you night and day. And now I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, who is able to build up, and to give an inheritance among all the sanctified." — Acts 20:29 - 32

I guess some things really are better left unsaid.

And lastly, I'm reminded of another message, this one, given to the church at Ephesus:

"1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write: These things saith he, who holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks: 2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them that are evil, and thou hast tried them, who say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3 And thou hast patience, and hast endured for my name, and hast not fainted. 4 But I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first charity. 5 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."

Coincidence? If it is, it is most certainly a happy one.

Saints Cyril and Methodius

2007-07-06T16:43:00.001-04:00

How lovely that the Holy Father has chosen the traditional feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius to release the long-awaited motu proprio regarding the traditional liturgy, Summorum Pontificum!

Just as these great saints went forth into the pagan lands of eastern Europe to spread the words of Christ using a common language, so will the Mass in its traditional form go into a world, unbelieving and hostile, to bring men closer to Him.

By Providence, may the traditional Mass and sacraments -- and the spirituality and theology that was abandoned along with them over the past 40 years -- give Catholic culture a unifying principle as the glagolitic alphabet helped bring the Slavic peoples to Christ so many centuries ago.

Slava Isusu Christu! Slava Vo Viki!

Offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ

2007-06-29T23:40:00.000-04:00

1 Wherefore laying away all malice, and all guile, and dissimulations, and envies, and all detractions, 2 As newborn babes, desire the rational milk without guile, that thereby you may grow unto salvation: 3 If so be you have tasted that the Lord is sweet. 4 Unto whom coming, as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen and made honourable by God: 5 Be you also as living stones built up, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

6 Wherefore it is said in the scripture: Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious. And he that shall believe in him, shall not be confounded. 7 To you therefore that believe, he is honour: but to them that believe not, the stone which the builders rejected, the same is made the head of the corner: 8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of scandal, to them who stumble at the word, neither do believe, whereunto also they are set. 9 But you are a chosen generation, a kingly priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people: that you may declare his virtues, who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 10 Who in time past were not a people: but are now the people of God. Who had not obtained mercy; but now have obtained mercy. — 1 Peter 2:1-10

Alone again, or?

2007-06-03T23:07:00.000-04:00

See ye that I alone am, and there is no other God besides me: I will kill and I will make to live: I will strike, and I will heal, and there is none that can deliver out of my hand. — Deuteronomy 32:39

Hey Joe, try walking with the Son, rather than on the sun!

2007-04-16T14:48:00.000-04:00

"...if the Tridentine rite is offered, it is a different rite, and you have to go back to the old forms of spirituality that went with it. He also said you have to go back to the old forms of sacraments, fasting and other aspects." — Bishop Joseph Adamec, Altoona-Johnstown, PA (source)

Well, I'm not sure if it would mean going "back to" old forms of spirituality as much as reintroducing spirituality, period.

I'm sure his Excellency (sic) would prefer the crypto-charismatic "spirituality" that appears in most Catholic parishes today over the apostolic faith of our fathers. If the TLM is ever freed and spreads, I can hear him mumbling the SmashMouth lyrics for Walking on the Sun: "

"And they folked out with guitars around a bon fire
Just singin' and clappin' man what the hell happened?"

Apocalypse...Now

2007-03-31T08:34:00.000-04:00

15 And the kings of the earth, and the princes, and tribunes, and the rich, and the strong, and every bondman, and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of mountains: 16 And they say to the mountains and the rocks: Fall upon us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth upon the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of their wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand? &mdash Apocalypse 6:15-17

Lenten Reflection #2

2007-03-29T09:51:00.000-04:00

"Singing in the church should be oriented towards prayer and should not be turned into a concert." (source) -- Russian Orthodox Bishop Hilarion Alfeev of Vienna and Austria

Amo, Amas, Amat

2007-03-14T14:09:00.000-04:00

Una Voce America and Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter to Train Priests to Celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass

Una Voce America announces a collaborative program with the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) designed to provide training for any priest interested in learning how to celebrate the traditional Latin Mass. Training will take place in June 2007 at Our Lady of Guadalupe seminary in Denton, Nebraska. The workshop will last for one week and will be repeated three times (the first, second and fourth weeks of June). The FSSP will be responsible for curriculum and instruction, while UVA will assume primary responsibility for funding and promoting the program.

To receive more information or to make a reservation, interested priests should contact Fr. Goodwin at (402) 797-7700 or write to: Attn: Mass Workshops, O.L.G. Seminary, P.O. Box 147, Denton, NE. 68339.

source: PRWeb.com

Lenten Reflection #1

2007-02-28T22:19:00.000-05:00

Many people tend to see Lent as the spiritual "playoffs" in their lives. That is, they strive to be on their best behavior and commit to one or more specific sacrifices, often culinary, in an effort to take their spiritual life to "the next level" just as an athletic team attempts to limit mistakes and peak once the championship is on the line.

Truly, Easter is the "Super Bowl" of Christianity. No greater victory has or can ever be won than Christ's victory over death on Golgotha.

"You were also crucified, O Christ, our God, and by death have trampled death, being one of the Holy Trinity, and glorified with the Father and the Holy Spirit, save us." — Hymn of the Incarnation, Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

Rather than seeing Lent as the end, the culmination of our spiritual lives, we should treat it rather as the beginning, a "spring training" to prepare ourselves for the year ahead. Just as a baseball player who wants to "make the team", takes inventory of his skills and shortcomings before each season, now is the time to note our faults, to work to improve them, to push ourselves to imitate the King of Glory for the year ahead and forever.

The Jesus Prayer is an excellent way to start this internal reflection.

Remember, man, you are from dust, and to dust you shall return

2007-02-21T07:32:00.000-05:00

"And he was in the desert forty days and forty nights, and was tempted by Satan; and he was with beasts, and the angels ministered to him." — Mark 1:13

So begins the season of penance and sacrifice.

Oh, Portugal!

2007-02-11T21:15:00.000-05:00

"Be watchful and strengthen the things that remain, which are ready to die. For I find not thy works full before my God. 3 Have in mind therefore in what manner thou hast received and heard: and observe, and do penance. If then thou shalt not watch, I will come to thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know at what hour I will come to thee. " — Apocalypse 3:2-3

Are you sure?

2007-01-25T21:37:00.000-05:00

"The Second Vatican Council wasn’t called to turn Catholics into Protestants." (source)

So says His Excellency, Cardinal George.

It's (Cardinal) Martini Time

2007-01-25T21:33:00.000-05:00

Can't they send this guy to a monastery or to Oceania or something?

Catholic Crematory?

2007-01-18T17:11:00.000-05:00

"This is what's happening today. This is the reality. It is the wave of the future," said Bishop Paul Bootkoski of the Metuchen Diocese, which has 600,000 Catholics in Hunterdon, Somerset, Middlesex and Warren counties. "We're going along with what our Catholic population is looking for." (source)

-- Bishop Paul Bootkoski (Metuchen)

Is this chap a Roman Catholic bishop or the next Product Manager for the iPod? What the population is looking for doesn't have an iota to do with things.

This reminds me of a conversation I had with a friend of mine, who is not a Catholic, but a non-denominational Christian. He advised that his family was leaning in the direction of cremation. I was surprised and asked him about the resurrection to come. As is his wont on issues related to religion, he shot back, "Are you putting limits on God's power? He's all powerful, do whether you are dust or in a casket, he can bring you back."

Apparently, despite his dedication to the Good Book, he missed this bit of a conversation between Our Lord and the devil from Matthew 6-7:

"6 And said to him: If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written: That he hath given his angels charge over thee, and in their hands shall they bear thee up, lest perhaps thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said to him: It is written again: Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. "

The fact a prelate would so openly embrace this option speaks volumes on the status of the current episcopacy.

Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, do manfully, and be strengthened

2007-01-17T09:39:00.000-05:00

Ecône = Rorke's Drift

Prick up your ears

2006-12-02T22:42:00.000-05:00

"But who, does not see and clearly perceive that human society, when set loose from the bonds of religion and true justice, can have, in truth, no other end than the purpose of obtaining and amassing wealth, and that (society under such circumstances) follows no other law in its actions, except the unchastened desire of ministering to its own pleasure and interests?"

Quanta Cura, Pope Pius IX
8 December 1864

Only One Rite?

2006-11-18T15:21:00.000-05:00

I read on Rorate Caeli that Wurzburg's Bishop Friedhelm Hofmann said, "Wir wollen keine Zwei-Riten-Kirche". ("We don't want a two-Rite Church")

If that's the case, your Excellency, you'd better hop a bus across town and join up with the Lutherans. The Catholic Church is and has been a multiple-rite church for some time now. Centuries in fact.

You'd like to think that a Bishop would be thoughtful enough to get the facts straight.

Sehr schade, Freddy!

Chugga, Chugga

2006-11-04T22:35:00.000-05:00

"The (Tridentine Latin) rite is only the locomotive -- the issue is the carriages that are pulled behind it," Brussels Cardinal Godfried Danneels said last week. "Behind this locomotive are carriages that I don't want." (source)

###

"For a bishop must be without crime, as the steward of God: not proud, not subject to anger, not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre. But given to hospitality, gentle, sober, just, holy, continent. Embracing that faithful word which is according to doctrine, that he may be able to exhort in sound doctrine, and to convince the gainsayers. For there are also many disobedient, vain talkers, and seducers: especially they who are of the circumcision. Who must be reproved, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake."

Epistle Of Saint Paul To Titus, 1:7-11

J'Accuse!

2006-10-24T10:36:00.000-04:00

So, let's be honest, who has betrayed "the" Council's instructions on liturgy?

Nearly every parish in the Roman Church!

A recent Washington Post article, making reference to the establishment of the Institute of the Good Shepherd in France, quotes French bishop Andre Lacrampe as saying, "We can be charitable and welcoming but we also have to be honest...I'm not ready to receive them because one cannot erase Vatican II with a stroke of a pen."

C'est strange fruit, my Modernist friend!

Let us review excerpts of the actual text [Czech, English, German, Italian, Latin, Portuguese, Spanish, Swahili] of The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium and decide who is attempting to erase "the" Council:

18. Priests, both secular and religious, who are already working in the Lord's vineyard are to be helped by every suitable means to understand ever more fully what it is that they are doing when they perform sacred rites; they are to be aided to live the liturgical life and to share it with the faithful entrusted to their care.

Crucis' Translation: There are standards for Mass. You don't make things up as you go. You can not add things to the liturgical books.

36. 1. Particular law remaining in force, the use of the Latin language is to be preserved in the Latin rites.

Crucis' Translation: Use Latin.

116. The Church acknowledges Gregorian chant as specially suited to the Roman liturgy: therefore, other things being equal, it should be given pride of place in liturgical services.

But other kinds of sacred music, especially polyphony, are by no means excluded from liturgical celebrations, so long as they accord with the spirit of the liturgical action, as laid down in Art. 30

Crucis' Translation: Use Gregorian chant and polyphony.

117. The typical edition of the books of Gregorian chant is to be completed; and a more critical edition is to be prepared of those books already published since the restoration by St. Pius X.

It is desirable also that an edition be prepared containing simpler melodies, for use in small churches.

Crucis' Translation:

118. Religious singing by the people is to be intelligently fostered so that in devotions and sacred exercises, as also during liturgical services, the voices of the faithful may ring out according to the norms and requirements of the rubrics.

Crucis' Translation: See Crucis' translation for #117 above, please.
119. In certain parts of the world, especially mission lands, there are peoples who have their own musical traditions, and these play a great part in their religious and social life. For this reason due importance is to be attached to their music, and a suitable place is to be given to it, not only in forming their attitude toward religion, but also in adapting worship to their native genius, as indicated in Art. 39 and 40.

Crucis' Translation: For people who don't have a 1,000+ year established tradition of liturgical music, let them sing Kumbaya and use drums, liturgical dance, et cetera. Europeans have their own musical tradition (chant and polyphony) that play a great part in their religious and social life. Leave it alone! (or in our present circumstances, restore it)

120. In the Latin Church the pipe organ is to be held in high esteem, for it is the traditional musical instrument which adds a wonderful splendor to the Church's ceremonies and powerfully lifts up man's mind to God and to higher things. But other instruments also may be admitted for use in divine worship, with the knowledge and consent of the competent territorial authority, as laid down in Art. 22, 52, 37, and 40. This may be done, however, only on condition that the instruments are suitable, or can be made suitable, for sacred use, accord with the dignity of the temple, and truly contribute to the edification of the faithful.

Crucis' Translation: Out with the keyboards, in with the heavy iron.

Straight, No Chaser

2006-10-20T21:01:00.000-04:00

"The priority is the defense of the Faith, because without the Faith man cannot go to heaven. Even a simple Christian layman has the duty to confess his faith. It means that if you are asked whether you believe this or that article of the Faith, you are obliged to answer and profess your faith even if that means death." (source) -- Bishop Bernard Fellay, SSPX

God (the) Father

2006-10-13T22:33:00.000-04:00

The Modernists will soon understand the meaning of the phrase, "Power wears down those who don't have it."

Still in the back of the bus

2006-04-08T22:42:00.000-04:00

There has been quite a bit of chatter lately about "a document" the Holy Father has already or will shortly sign regarding the Mass. Whether the document will apply to the "old" rite of Mass or the Novus Ordo, is unclear to those doing most of the talking.

As someone loyal to the liturgial traditions of the Roman Catholic Church, aka the Tridentine Mass, I've ridden the roller coaster of hope many times before. It is Spring here, and new life abounds in nature, so we are predisposed to optimism.

I am, however, reminded of something Richard Wagner said in the Dresden during the failed 1848 revolution across Germany: "You have one Fatherland, Germany. Love it above all...more through actions than through words."

The Roman Church -- drunk on the "spirit of the Council" -- teeters on the precipice and has been for decades: bad liturgy, bad music, bad theology, declining vocations, declining belief in the real presence of our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, many Cardinals who are heretics, at best! It must come to and end and only one man can bring it to and end: Benedict XVI, gloriously reigning.

When the Soviet Union teetered on the brink of extinction, one man kicked out the last support from it's rotting frame, President Ronald Reagan. He threw down the gauntlet to Mssr. Gorbachev by going to the Berlin Wall and publicly saying, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall."

That said, I believe it is time for the Holy Father to act in a clear and unmistakable way. Not through documents, not through Ecclesia Dei, not through Cardinal Ruini or the collected College of Cardinals.

We, the remnant of Tradition must now say, "Santissimo Padre, pray this Mass!"

Until the Bishop of Rome himself celebrates Holy Mass using the traditional missal of Pope St. Pius V in St. Peter's Basilica, Traditionalists will continue to be considered cranks, nostalgics, "schismatics" and de facto second-class citizens of the Roman Church.

Through the intercession of the Blessed Mother of Christ, may it be so!

Ecce

2006-04-05T00:05:00.000-04:00

ecce venit cum nubibus et videbit eum omnis oculus et qui eum pupugerunt et plangent se super eum omnes tribus terrae etiam amen

Apocalypse 1:7

Pax Christi USA

2005-07-09T01:02:00.000-05:00

They bill themselves as "The national Catholic peace movement". As Bugs Bunny might have said, "Confidentially Mack, they look like Moonies to me!"

These people have not only taken the "spirit" of Vatican II and run with it, they've sped away as if they were riding in a Superamerica!

I tried to construct a cohesive narrative analysis of this site, but can't do it, so pardon my bullet points:

Their artistic rendering of Archbishop Romero is reminiscent of the idyllic genre of posters and banners one might see in Red Square during the Soviet era. (see fig. 1, fig. 2, fig. 3)

The ad stating, "The War in Iraq Remains a Defeat for Humanity". Uh, no. It'd be a defeat for the dude in his underwear. Is Baghdad Bob ghost-writing for them? These people could smoke a Rasta under the table!

Right below the "defeat for humanity" ad, they're plugging the 60th anniversary of Hiroshima & Nagasaki and their "vision for a nuclear free world". That's original.

The beat goes on, Part 1. Their "product of the week" is "A Backgrounder on Capital Punishment".

The beat goes on, Part 2. And, if you hadn't guessed already, the second item in their catalog is, a rainbow "peace" flag, which is described as "...an international symbol of hope, solidarity and joy in a time of war and terrorism". Cardinal Mahoney must wet himself just thinking about it!

I could drone on, but I won't. Well, maybe just a couple of quick tidbits on their links page deserve mention...two of my favorite (sic) links to "campaigns endorsed by Pax Christi USA":

The Catholics for Faithful Citizenship. This smacks of the heretical "Patriotic Rosary" — which recommended replacing the traditional mysteries with various politically-oriented quotes of the Founding Fathers and intoning a prayer for various states (like Alabama, Ohio, etc.) at the end of each decade 'prayed' — promoted by Caritas of Birmingham recently. Can you say caesaropapism?

And last, but not least, the "National Network to Oppose the Militarization of Youth", complete with the obligatory, overly happy/content/pedagogic third-worlders in the banner graphic. And guess where this page links to? Well, break out your Village People 45s, baby, 'cause the Quakers are goin' disco!

Now, they may all be very nice people, but they sure as hell shouldn't be calling themselves Catholic!

World Youth Day 2005

2005-03-31T23:31:00.000-05:00

Simply reading that sentence sends chills up the spines of the majority of "Traditional" Roman Catholics. To their chagrin, I am not among them.

I'm compelled to break ranks with the majority of them.

From what I've seen of the world youth days of the past, I agree that they smack of heresy -- at best -- in many respects.

That said, what better place to evangelize for Christ and Tradition?

Of course, this is easily said, because my oldest child is not quite seven years old and won't be attending. But, with a chaperone, our attendance can be an opportunity to positively effect the outcome -- not only of this event, but the individual lives of its participants, the majority of whom are likely to be at least well-meaning, ROMAN CATHOLIC children. Who needs our guidance and prayers more than these?

By receiving the sacrament of Confirmation we all became "Soldiers of Christ" -- members of the Church Militant -- and can not be afraid to enter into combat for souls, even under the most unpleasant of circumstances.

If we reject opportunities such as this to act for our Faith and Tradition, we risk becoming a ceremonial guard rather than a fighting force capable of the moral combat necessary for this day and age -- one more concerned about sullying our uniforms or possibly taking "casualties" than actually taking the message of our Lord Jesus Christ and Holy Mother Church to the lost and almost-lost souls who reject or who have been DENIED their birthright -- the complete deposit of the Roman Catholic Faith.

Rage against the machine

2005-02-09T11:16:00.000-05:00

Rod Dreher: Where's the rage, Catholic men?

Rod Dreher's recent article in the Dallas Morning News needs to be distributed to every Roman Catholic man in America.

You'll have to register on their website to read it, but never fear. I told them I lived on 123 Main St. in Kabul Afgahnistan, so don't let that roadblock stop you.

Here's a brief excerpt, posted without permission:

Why aren't the men who run the Catholic church raging against the cruelty of priests who prey on kids? Why do so many good priests and Catholic laymen remain as docile as eunuchs despite it all? Do we think we're not going to have to answer to God for our moral cowardice?

Within the church, there is a culture of what C.S. Lewis called "men without chests." Most of us go along to get along, shirking our duties as Christians and men to protect the weak and guard the integrity of the religious community.

Here we are on the fourth Ash Wednesday of the church's long scandal-ridden Lent. As we examine our consciences in Mass today, we ought to be asking ourselves what our sons and daughters, if they remain Catholic, surely will one day: Where were you when the church needed good men to stand up to defend what's right?

As Police Inspector Hans Wilhelm Friederich Kemp said in Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein, "A riot is an ugly thing...and I think that it is just about time that we had one!"

Macht den Mund, bitte!

2005-02-08T14:27:00.000-05:00

Dialogue.

If I hear one more Bishop, Cardinal or other Catholic talk about the value of dialogue to the Roman Catholic Church, I'm going to need a Confessional.

Let me go out on a limb by adapting a quote from Salvador Dali and say, "Dialogue, c'est la merde." -- at least when following the tack we have so far.

The Church's four-decade long pursuit of dialogue has done nothing but dilute our base.

Now, had the enlightened minds of the recent ecumenical Council taken the Socratic approach to dialogue rather than the Hegelian, we might have gotten somewhere. But alas, they wanted aggiornamento.

And they got it.

A fair question to ask is what we, the Roman Catholic faithful, have received from our partners (our concelebrators?) in this dialogue? Among the fruits for Holy Mother Church have been:

A new missal, which has caused division -- and more than a simple rubric-based division -- among the faithful. The irregular implementation and abuse of the new liturgy has led to ecclesiological differences within an allegedly "catholic" -- that is, universal -- community. "Unity through diversity" now seems to be the Liturgical Ministries' motto. It's akin to the legendary dormitory graffiti comparing "fighting for peace" to "f**king for virginity". Thirty years later, liturgical reform has become a farce.

Seminaries that are half empty, at best, in many locations...oh, sorry, I meant to say "half full"...along with female vocations in most western, industrialized nations that are approaching levels of non-existence. Further, most of the female religious are nearly indistinguishable from the devoted women of the laity. Except for the butch haircuts.

Fabricated music in our "worship spaces" (we used to call them chapels, basilicas, cathedrals, etc.) that is barely worthy of Saturday morning children's programming. The rate at which music is being produced and published by some of the masterminds of liturgical development (sic) is astonishing. Fortunately for these people -- and unfortunately for us -- they have what the software industry calls an installed base. Unfortunately Rome doesn't go after these people like the U. S. Department of Justice went after Microsoft... It reminds me of a bad episode of American Idol, really.

There are other fruits that could be discussed, but I will leave that to my friends at the Roman Catholic Faithful website.

So, rather than working charitably and sincerely to draw our separated brothers and sisters in Christ back to Rome, or to adopt meaningful reforms to unite ourselves with the Eastern Churches, we have simply created, courtesy of Hegel's dialectic, a new half-Catholic, half-Protestant "faith community" dressed in a Roman toga.

This chimera has done nothing to dispel the misconceptions held by Protestants and Evangelicals about Roman primacy, the Blessed Virgin Mother, saints, the Sacraments, or our general Catholic Weltanschauung. Additionally, it has further distanced us from those to whom we ought to have made any ecumenical overtures, if any needed to be made at all.

But he's got no 401k...

2005-02-07T13:05:00.000-05:00

Below is my reply to the Times' inqury for feedback on the subject of a fixed retirement age for Christ's Vicar on Earth.

###

In response to your question, "Should Popes have a fixed retirement age?", my answer is no, they should not.

Too often the common perception of government in the world at large, nominally parliamentary and assuredly secular, is applied to the Roman Church. Despite the frustration it causes progressive Roman Catholics and other humanists the world over, the Roman Church is a monarchy whose earthly superior is chosen for life.

A mandatory -- and wholly random -- retirement age for the monarch of any state is inappropriate and contradictory.

Should the House of Lords require Her Majesty to retire next year? I think not.

Thank you for the opportunity to be heard.

Tommy, are you in there?

2005-02-05T01:58:00.000-05:00

Below is an open letter to His Holiness, John Paul II, Christ's Vicar on Earth, the Bishop of Rome, sent on this day, the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

###

Most Holy Father,

May the blessings of the Mother of God be with you on this day -- the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary!

I write to you with great Hope, but also with some sadness knowing that you may never read this letter due to the great responsibilities and burdens you bear for both our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ -- and His mystical bride, our Church.

For more than 26 years, in your capacity as Christ's Vicar on Earth, the Bishop of Rome, you have done much to foster greater understanding and bring peace to those sons and daughters of Abraham who have been separated from one another for centuries. You have instructed us to forgive, to love and to pray.

Your Holiness has also often corrected the course of the bark of St. Peter when it has sailed off course, especially with regard to some misunderstandings of the many documents and pronouncements of the Church in recent years.

Holy Father, you have often spoken of us, the faithful, as your "brothers and sisters in Christ" -- and this is true, because when compared to the radiant light of the Blessed Trinity, even the holiest man on earth's soul is as dark as a speck of coal.

It is with great humility that I request of you, John Paul, the Servant of the Servants of God, the holder of the Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, to unhesitatingly exercise, by virtue of your lawful office as Christ's Vicar on Earth, your authority to grant every priest -- unequivocally, and without regard to the sentiments of national councils, synods or the local ordinary -- dispensation from any edict, rubric or convention that may prohibit them from celebrating Holy Mass according to the Missal of Pius V, also commonly known in the English-speaking world as the Tridentine Rite.

Holy Father, you have done much to foster unity, both between Roman Catholic laity and clergy, and between Roman Catholics and our separated brethren in Christ.

Now, as Holy Mother Church begins it's third millennium, I would humbly submit it is time for you to foster unity between the Church Militant -- especially those faithful referenced in your apostolic letter of 1988, Ecclesia Dei, with *all* priests of the Latin Rite -- and the Church Triumphant, being those numberless saints, martyrs and souls who have faithfully served God -- and relied on the intercession of the Most Blessed Mother of God -- since the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus on Calvary.

As Christ said to Peter, "...thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Please, Holy Father, grant this legitimate and sincere petition of the faithful. Give us this weapon to defend our immortal souls against the encroachment of man's pride and materialism which are besieging the Church and her faithful from all sides. Do not let the accidents of the Church -- its "reforms" -- preclude the substance of the church -- its faith.

Grant to us, your brothers and sisters in Christ -- all children of God! -- this consolation from Heaven, just as Our Lady of Jasna Gora gave courage to those brave knights at Grunwald through the hymn of the Mother of God.

Niech bedzie pochwalony Jezus Chrystus!

-- Michael, Archidioecesis Indianapolitana

Against the excesses of "reform"

2005-02-01T01:39:00.000-05:00

I've rarely been hesitant to answer a question frankly, but I generally don't preach to people about this or that. I seem to be making a habit of it lately, however...

Below is my response to someone who sought some advice in their struggle to defend the Faith against the excesses of "reform".

###

The first thing to do is to forgive them. As Christ said to Peter when asked how often he should forgive those who offend him, our Lord advised "seventy times seven times". (Matthew 18:22 @ http://www.drbo.org/)

Their insults and ignorance of what's happened to the Church over the years may even require you to exceed that number, but so be it.

If you have the opportunity to attend a traditional Mass, do so as frequently as you can. If you're not able to attend regularly, go whenever you are able. Regardless of the frequency with which you are able to attend Mass, read your Missal. Daily if possible. If you don't have a Missal, make the sacrifice to find one. Another book that might interest you is, "The Heart of the Mass", published by Sarto House. It can be found online at www.aquinasandmore.com and also the SSPX publishing house, www.angeluspress.org.

Whatever people may say to you, and whatever you may do, have the courage to stand fast by Holy Mother Church and the Mass of our fathers!

Around the world, people you have never met are praying for you and for all those who love His Church. Join your voice with theirs! It will certainly be difficult to do so at times, and you may stumble, but you must never give up.

Lastly, do not judge those who speak ill of you.

Work to build yourself up spiritually by prayer and charity. Realize the people who may speak disrespectfully to you have been denied their birthright, too.

Lead them by example, let them see you not only speaking the Truth, but acting upon it. This will change the hearts of the sincere who have been misled or poorly catechized. At that point, the sheep will follow the Shepherd.

Your first Latin Mass

2005-01-12T15:29:00.000-05:00

Below is an excerpt from a letter sent to a friend who was "parish shopping" recently.

As their background was Roman Catholic, I suggested a visit to my parish in Indianapolis, Holy Rosary.

All names have been removed to protect the innocent...and the guilty.

###

Now then, the Mass is performed with full choir on Sunday morning. Note I said "choir" and not trio, band, troupe, ensemble, combo or posse. The choir is accompanied by an organ -- not a flute, harmonica, banjo, drum, maracas, rainstick, tin whistle or didgeridoo. Buy a Windham Hill sampler if you want to listen to that kind of music.

Once the priest starts, the choir will respond and the people will chime in at various points, too, but much of the Mass is said by the priest himself in secreto. Don't sweat it, you don't have to say anything if you don't feel comfortable doing so. Nobody will look at you like you're a loser or crazy, they're too busy praying, watching the priest, etc. to have time to worry about you! And, everyone's kid will cry at some point, so don't worry about that, either.

Ten minutes into it, you'll be like, "What the &^@! is he saying?" because it will be exclusively in Latin, except for the Epistle, Gospel and sermon. (which are initially said in Latin, but repeated later for further consideration of the flock) You may also think, "Hey, why's his back to me?" That's normal, don't sweat that, either.

###

Latin is used for several reasons, listed in no particular order:

1. It's the "official" language of the church and has been for centuries. The Second Vatican Council's constitution on the sacred liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, advises -- in multiple instances -- that the use of Latin in the Latin Rite is to be preserved.

2. It manifests our unity as Catholics (Catholic comes from the Greek "katholicos" meaning "universal") with:

a. Rome, whose Bishop is the apostolic successor of St. Peter, and the historical Church of the Martyrs and Saints who died during the persecutions under countless Roman emperors.

b. Other Catholics, regardless of their race, culture or language. A Mass prayed according to the Tridentine Missal will be, like Dove soap, 99 44/100ths identical in theology and form as when offered in any other location. Respectfully, this can generally not be said of the Missal of Paul VI, which is celebrated with great local latitude. And for those who would accuse me of speaking against "the Council" (see November's entry below) I will state that the Missal of Paul VI is, without a doubt, legitimate and, more specifically, the Missa Normativa of the Latin Rite.

3. The "bugs" have been kept out of the Church's core theology over the centuries thanks to Latin. Organic development has assuredly occurred over the centuries and as dictated by the numerous ecumenical councils, but "Credo" means "Credo" (I believe) whether it's 313 at the Council of Nicea, 1545 at Trent or 2005 in Indianapolis. That's a small, simple, silly example, but when dealing with complex theological concepts that are handed down from generation to generation over time, which are proclaimed as divinely revealed truths, having a language that does not change as readily as the vernacular is wont to do, especially in our current time, is more than advantageous. It's a prerequisite.

With regard to "why the priest has his back to us"...he really doesn't have his back to us. Rather, he is facing God, to Whom he is offering the sacrifice of the Mass. Personally, I go to Mass to focus my attention on God, rather than my neighbor. If I want to spend quality time with my neighbor, I'll help him clean out his garage or mow his lawn.

A good idea poorly executed

2004-11-29T08:56:00.000-05:00

Zenit.org recently asked Cardinal Edward Cassidy, former President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, what the biggest challenge to ecumenism was in our current day.

His Excellency, displaying the obtuse, albeit consistent, optimism of those who grandly promised a "renewal" of the church -- and the world -- after the recent ecumenical council in Rome spake thusly: "... I suppose that one of the biggest is that we still have a lot to do in our own Church before the decisions of the Second Vatican Council will have entered right down into the life of our Church so that people really understand what we are trying to do and why we are doing it..."

Candidly, if the results of the council have not yet "entered right down into the life of our Church", can he explain what's happened in the Church in the 40 years since the council began?

Reviewing the fruits of these past four decades, some might say, generously, that the council was a good idea poorly executed. The truth may be stranger than fiction. Most of the people discussing "the council" (note their preference for a definite rather than indefinite article -- as if there were no other councils for Catholics to reflect upon) can rarely reference where the basis for the "reforms" they so dearly cherish exist within the council's documents. Instead, reference is frequently made to the "spirit of the council".

These references, were their manifestations not so pernicious, would be humorous. For an institution that, over centuries, perfected the scholastic method to now have its vanguard seemingly speaking in tongues about the "spirit of the council" reminds one of references to "the party" in Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia. In those days, everyone was a member of "the party", but none would -- when it came time to foot the bill -- claim to bear the responsibility of the decisions and actions of "the party". Et tu Cardinal Cassidy?

By no means am I comparing the council to either the Holocaust of the Gulag. Many devotees of the council do, however, exhibit a number of characteristics that can manifest themselves in the worst forms of collective behavior -- that of putting the hopes for an idea above the fruits of that idea.

Stand fast

2004-09-08T06:53:00.000-05:00

2 Thessalonians, 2:14..."Therefore, brethren, stand fast; and hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word, or by our epistle."

Latin Liturgy Association Convention, 2004

2004-07-05T21:59:00.000-05:00

Since I haven't read anything online about the 2004 Latin Liturgy Association convention in Indianapolis, I felt compelled to jot down some of my impressions for those who couldn't make it.

The weekend kicked off with a workshop, "Give Chant a Chance in Your Parish". Since I planned on spending the entire weekend at the Masses and presentations, I skipped this session, but was pleased to receive the kit given to all registrants when signing in Saturday morning.

Included in the kit was a copy of the Adoremus Bulletin, a couple of holy cards, an edition of Jubilate Deo from G.I.A. Publications in Chicago and sundry handouts related to sacred music. I happily browsed through it, but not being musically versed, I realized the advice given to me at the registration table ("If you don't know anything about music, give this to someone who does.") to be prophetic! I'm currently devising a politically correct way to pass this on to the music teacher at the local parish, where my children attend grammar school.

The official kick off for the convention was a Mass at St. John's -- on Capitol, across from the Hoosier Dome (aka RCA Dome) -- according to the Missal of Paul VI, in Latin of course.

Due to the number of abuses I've seen when attending N.O. Masses over the years (I was born in 1967) I was hesitant to drive 35 minutes to downtown Indianapolis from my home at 7:45 a.m. on a Saturday morning, but decided to make the trek after much prayer and reflection.

I have to confess not knowing who the celebrant was, but did note the several other clerics in the sanctuary included some FSSP and the Vicar General for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. (note: there was no concelebration involved) Frankly, I was impressed with the reverence and beauty of the Mass, despite my personal belief in the inherent theological flaws of the Novus Ordo. Also of note, the Schola from Holy Rosary in Indianapolis was in attendance and did their usual outstanding job with hymns and responses.

After Mass, I drove the short distance to Holy Rosary, on East Street across from pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly's world headquarters, where the main conference events would take place. Upon arrival, all were warmly welcomed by the LLA staff.

Of particular interest to me was a vendor booth for the "Society for the Preservation of Roman Catholic Heritage". Among the stated goals in their literature were: protection/rescue/restoration of sacred objects, education and public awareness of said objects, as well as their distribution to those Roman Catholics in need of such objects. Their website was listed at www.sporch.org and it offers many items for sale.

The first presentation was given by James Likoudis, President Emeritus of Catholics United for the Faith. The thrust of Mr. Likoudis' talk was that Rome had provided the necessary documents for those who love Holy Mass to use to seek its restoration. The documents included the most recent GIRM, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, and Redemptionis Sacramentum. His advice seemed to be, and I paraphrase, use these documents to hammer home a baseline for Mass in your local parish. He was adamant about following the proper channels to advocate the solemnity and reverence during Mass. Again, paraphrasing, "Write your bishop about abuses, non-satisfactory replies should be forwarded to Rome." was his closing advice.

As they say in their literature, the LLA is about the only organization advocating the more widespread application of both the Missal of Pius V (aka "Traditional Latin Mass") and Paul VI's Novus Ordo in Latin. My sense of the entire convention was that they attempted to strike a balance between Traditional speakers and those inclined for a more reverential, and of course Latin-speaking, way of worship according to post-Conciliar norms. It wasn't clear to me as a newcomer which side of the fence Mr. Likoudis was on, but he was certainly a sincere and thoughtful speaker whose presentation led to several informative follow-up questions.

The second speaker was Mike Withers, from the Association for Latin Liturgy in the UK, who gave a presentation called, "Byrd Between the Lines". The Byrd in question was William Byrd (http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/William-Byrd) , an English composer of liturgical music who spanned the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Again, not being musically literate, some of the presentation was over my head, but thoroughly enjoyable nonetheless. Mr. Withers' English sense of humor was appreciated, especially his delivery of perhaps the most humorous line of the event regarding Thomas Cranmer, "Cranmer was fired as the Archbishop of Canterbury and literally fired a year later."

Following a break for lunch, we were treated to what was most certainly the most enthusiastic presentation of the weekend by Dr. Lucy Carroll of Westminster Choir College in Princeton, "Gregorian Chant: Music for the Few or the Many?". (The answer was both.) Dr. Carroll had given the chant workshop the night before, and after having heard her speak, I wish I had attended, despite my musical ignorance!

Dr. Carroll described how Latin could be -- and had been -- successfully introduced little by little into the liturgy at her location and how it could be expanded over time. Two things of note about this presentation bear repeating...firstly, the argument against Latin hymnody on the grounds that it will be performed poorly or off key by the Mass attendees: people will sing off key regardless of what is being sung, be it in the vernacular or in Latin. The second, and most reassuring, point she made clear: "Eagles Wings" doesn't belong in the Roman Catholic Mass!

The next speaker was Father Dennis Duvelius, FSSP, Associate Pastor of Holy Rosary in Indianapolis. His presentation, "An Illustrated Introduction to the Dominican Rite" was given with the help of a slide show and provided valuable insight to this venerable -- and legitimate -- rite of the Church. This presentation was interrupted by a break for Vespers, but was resumed with alacrity and led to several questions from those in attendance. Tidbits of interest from this presentation included the fact the Dominican breviary is written in rhyme and that the Dominican Rite is the only one where the celebrant takes Communion from his left hand.

After Father Duvelius, Dr. Richard Haefer of Arizona State University came to the podium to present, "Loquentes de psalmis hymnis, canticis spiritalibus: Early Latin Hymnody". Dr. Haefer gave an informative presentation, but unfortunately my musical ignorance again came into play and I was lost at times.

The final presentation of Saturday was given by The Very Reverend Father James Jackson, FSSP, who is Rector of Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Denton, Nebraska. Father Jackson's bearing and presence were difficult to miss during the course of the day and he did not disappoint during his presentation, "Training Seminarians at Our Lady of Guadalupe". If only Father Jackson could have an hour-long program on EWTN or -- better yet -- a national broadcast outlet! Father Jackson described the four marks of prayer, hard work, sacrifice and generosity that are emphasized to each seminarian. This, along with the unique charter to offer Holy Mass according to the 1962 typical edition, were, in his opinion, among the reasons the seminary was able to flourish as it has over the past decade.

There is no other word to describe Father Jackson's talk other than uplifting. Having heard the morally and socially relativistic mantra repeated by most clerics, both Catholic and non-Catholic, over the years I found it incredibly refreshing to hear a man speak with the conviction and confidence of his Roman Catholic faith. May the Lord bless the men of the FSSP and all those priests and religious who have made so many sacrifices in their lives over the years!

Sunday's session opened with the disappointing news from LLA President William Leininger that Archabbot Lambert Reilly of Saint Meinrad's Archabbey, who was scheduled to celebrate a Solemn Pontifical Mass according to the 1962 rubrics at Sacred Heart parish that afternoon, was unable to keep that commitment and a Sung Mass would be said in it's place.

This took a little bit of air out of the balloon, so to speak, as so many people had been looking forward to this Mass, not only at the convention, but also in the Catholic community of Indianapolis. In fact, the church was packed that afternoon and several local media outlets sent crews to provide coverage for their evening newscasts. It was still a beautiful Mass, of course, and all were fortunate to be at Sacred Heart, which sustained over a million dollars in fire damage just a few years earlier.

Following this announcement, The Most Reverend Thomas Paprocki, Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago -- who was also to be presented with the LLA's "Domus Dei" award later in the day -- gave a presentation, "Why Stick It to the Book?" After a few cordial opening remarks, including some regarding his great interest in the Latin language, the Bishop gave us a sneak preview of an article he would be publishing shortly in a Catholic journal, whose name escapes me at the moment. A few minutes in, his Excellency began quoting GIRM and Canon Law in such detail that I found it difficult to stay in touch with his train of thought.

It is not my intention to be disrespectful to his Eminence, who is a member of the advisory board to the Association, but his presentation did not improve the mood of the room, especially during the period of questions that followed his talk. Perhaps I misunderstood his remarks and intent, but I got the impression that while he agreed there were a number of liturgical abuses happening across our land, we had to proceed cautiously in advocating change, lest the parishioners in those churches become, how can I say this...dissatisfied...with their liturgical experience. I don't believe I was the only one who got that impression, as James Likoudis, who had presented on liturgical abuse and how to combat it the previous day, asked several fairly straightforward questions of the Bishop that seemed to make his Excellency rather uncomfortable. Regardless, Bishop Paprocki did receive a standing ovation, from most present, upon being awarded the Domus Dei award for his long support of the LLA.

Following the award presentation and remarks, Dr. James Yeager of the Pontifical College Josephinum took to the podium to present, "Sacred Music in Seminary Training". Dr. Yeager provided all with not only an inspiring and informative overview of the college and his work, but also a little levity deriving from some technical difficulties he experienced with his presentation materials. (laptop, projector, etc.) His conclusion was that bad music leads to bad theology. He summed up the thoughts of many Roman Catholics over the years by saying, "Not that I have anything against the guitar, it's a beautiful instrument, but you know what I mean..."

The final presentation before Mass, "Mater Ecclesiae Chapel, An Unbelievable Story", was given by Reverend Father Robert Pasley, Rector of Mater Ecclesiae Chapel in Berlin, New Jersey. I was delighted to learn that Mater Ecclesiae is the only all-Traditional parish in the country. Father Pasley gave an excellent review of the history of the parish from it's earliest days and it was heartening to hear. His conclusion was that this was certainly possible elsewhere. He also stressed that his parish makes every effort to be a full partner in the diocese, especially where the rubber in the modern world meets the road: finance. Hopefully the good works of Father Pasley and the parishioners of Mater Ecclesiae parish will encourage others to strive to achieve similar results in their localities.

At this time, all departed for the short drive to Sacred Heart, a historically German parish on the south side of Indianapolis.

As mentioned earlier, the neighborhood was abuzz (the church itself sits in the middle of a tight, residential neighborhood) with traffic and activity. The church itself was magnificent, having been restored from a terrible fire that had occurred just a few years before. In the loft were the Bach Chorale Singers and Orchestra of Lafayette, Indiana, which provided wonderful selections from the Church's wealth of liturgical music – including Mozart -- to accompany the Mass, which was celebrated by Father Duvelius.

Unfortunately, the Mass started about 20 minutes later than planned, and due to a family obligation which would have not been a conflict had Mass started at its scheduled time, I excused myself after the Offertory. There was a panel discussion after Mass, but I have no report on what topics may were discussed.

Overall, I had a very positive experience at the conference and would encourage anyone who reads this to attend the next one. You can find the LLA website at www.latinliturgy.com for further details regarding the Association and its activities.

ABL: Anything but Latin

2004-03-23T22:42:00.000-05:00

With regard to Mr. Kavanaugh's commentary on the Latin Mass at
http://www.azcentral.com/specials/pluggedin/articles/0317kavanaugh0317.html...

If Mr. Kavanaugh doesn't like Latin Mass, he shouldn't attend it.
There are plenty of contemporary-style masses to attend in Mesa
should he prefer the Pauline Missal.

Political leaders -- especially Democrats -- are constantly reminding
us about the need to separate church and state, yet this joker's
gotta beat the drum in a public forum about people who simply want
solemnity and reverence in their worship, as was present for hundreds
of years before the hootenannies began.

Would Mr. Kavanaugh make such a statement about Moslems who would
prefer to use Arabic in their prayers or Orthodox Jews who prefer to
use Hebrew rather than English?

I'll pray that the good Vice-mayor can find it in his Christian heart
to respect others' right to worship God in a way they see fit.

I'm a soul man

2004-03-12T23:15:00.000-05:00

As Elwood Blues once said, "You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here."

Beam Scotty up (please!)

2004-02-25T22:00:00.000-05:00

A Reply to Mr. Scott's Review of Mel Gibson's "Passion"
(online version @ http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/25/movies/25SCOT.html)

Scott, P1: "Mr. Gibson has constructed an unnerving and painful spectacle..."

MH: Uh, no, that'd be the Romans who constructed the spectacle...

Scott, P4: "Mr. Gibson has departed radically from the tone and spirit of earlier American movies..."

MH: Ah, but every other radical departure in American culture is embraced and celebrated in the New York Times. Hmmm.

Scott, P5: "His version of the Gospels is harrowingly violent..."

MH: Isn't it Matthew, Mark, Luke and John's version of the Gospels? Oh that's right, this is the New York Times...sources that have names are sometimes not very useful, are they?

Scott, P7: "By rubbing our faces in the grisly reality of Jesus' death..."

MH: Hey, at least he acknowledged Jesus' death! (He died, therefore He is!)

Scott, P7: "Look, the movie seems to insist, when we say he died for our sins, this is what we mean."

MH: Imagine that, people speaking honestly about what they think or feel! A shock to him due to it possibly being less frequently encountered during the Ed boards of the Times?

Scott, P8: "A viewer, particularly one who accepts the theological import of the story, is thus caught in a sadomasochistic paradox, as are the disciples for whom Jesus, in a flashback that occurs toward the end, promises to lay down his life."

MH: Now I'm not quite as familiar with perversity as some people at the Times may be, but I believe that masochism involves one's own self-destructive interest in being abused, rather than an intellectual recognition that one may -- or is about to be -- abused by his captors. When Peter (the first of Christ's Vicars on Earth, you know) cuts off the Judean soldier's ear at the time of capture in the garden, I'd say he is particularly disinterested in being abused himself or seeing Jesus abused...but then again, I'm from the midwest.

Scott, P9: "Mr. Gibson is temperamentally a more stolid, less formally adventurous filmmaker..."

MH: Mr. Gibson is so non-adventurous of a filmmaker that he is reported to have spent $25 million of his own money to bring this project to fruition.

Scott, P14: "Is 'The Passion of the Christ' anti-Semitic? I thought you'd never ask. To my eyes it did not seem to traffic explicitly or egregiously in the toxic iconography of historical Jew hatred, but more sensitive viewers may disagree. The Pharisees, in their tallit and beards, are certainly shown as a sinister and inhumane group, and the mob they command is full of howling, ugly rage."

MH: Maybe the Pharisees do come across as "a sinister and inhumane group" -- except for the two or three of them who actually protested the proceedings of the Sanhedrin and called for Jesus' release. Funny how he left those guys out, huh? And, it was also strange how the mass of persons on the last leg of the trip to Golgotha (I'd assume these persons were Jews, but maybe they were Babylonians bused in from the east, as protesters are wont to be bused from their natural habitat to one where the "action" is) are actually weeping and wailing as Jesus passes them by. Granted the gristle-toothed supporters of Barabas were not a girl's first choice to bring home to mother.

Scott, P16: "The troubling implications of the film do not arise primarily from its religious agenda: an extreme, traditionalist Roman Catholicism that has not prevented "The Passion" from resonating, oddly enough, with many evangelical Protestants."

MH: Ah yes, that "extreme" Catholicism that existed for centuries before a pederastic cult infiltrated the Roman priesthood in the postwar period and began molesting young boys left and right, all the while singing Kumbaya and strumming their guitars as if rehearsing for an MTV "Unplugged" session.

Scott, P17: "What makes the movie so grim and ugly is Mr. Gibson's inability to think beyond the conventional logic of movie narrative. In most movies — certainly in most movies directed by or starring Mr. Gibson — violence against the innocent demands righteous vengeance in the third act, an expectation that Mr. Gibson in this case whips up and leaves unsatisfied."

MH, a. A movie "so grim and ugly" that actually has as its central theme its main character's endless capacity to forgive those who wrong Him, regardless of the severity of the injustice involved. Isn't tolerance and turning the other cheek a cause near and dear to the hearts of those running the Times? Check some back issues, A.O. ...

MH, b. As much as many in the audience would have liked to see the trailing credits roll into the beginning of a sequel based on the Apocalypse, it would be hard to show the Prince of Peace in any other way than the one He came to show Himself to mankind in.

Scott, P18: "On its own, apart from whatever beliefs a viewer might bring to it, "The Passion of the Christ" never provides a clear sense of what all of this bloodshed was for, an inconclusiveness that is Mr. Gibson's most serious artistic failure. The Gospels, at least in some interpretations, suggest that the story ends in forgiveness. But such an ending seems beyond Mr. Gibson's imaginative capacities."

MH, a. Ever hear of a target audience? I don't recall anyone complaining about not having an "Idiot's Guide to 'The Fast and Furious'" before seeing that movie... Isn't it OK for conservative and traditional consumers to have products (in this case, a movie) available that focus on topics they're familiar with? Or do we need to review the Times' Sunday Magazine to sharpen our cultural perspectives?

MH, b. Concerning the line about the Gospels "...in some interpretations" suggesting the story "...ends in forgiveness..." -- yeah, that's exemplified by the flogged, lacerated, bleeding guy saying "Father, forgive them" at the end of it all, if you recall.

Pax.

Miserere mei, Deus

2004-02-25T13:00:00.000-05:00

Asperges me, Domine, hyssopo, et mundabor:
lavabis me, et super nivem dealbador.
Miserere mei, Deus,
secundum magnam misericordiam tuam.