The most common criticism of the Traditional Mass is that the faithful are somehow unable to participate. Yet a century before the Novus Ordo Missae, Cardinal Newman wrote in his novel Loss and Gain:

"Each in his place, with his own heart, with his own wants, with his own thoughts, with his own intention, with his own prayers, separate but concordant, watching what is going on, watching its progress, uniting in its consummation;—not painfully and hopelessly following a hard form of prayer from beginning to end, but, like a concert of musical instruments, each different, but concurring in a sweet harmony, we take our part with God's priest, supporting him, yet guided by him."

Can we find any more personal yet communal expression of the virtue of religion? Can we find an act of worship more intimate, where each individual is able to in effect offer up his own Mass?

In his seventh lecture on Certain Difficulties Felt by Anglicans in Catholc Teaching, Newman under the heading the Strength of the Catholic Church writes:

"This being the state of the case, consider how entirely the reasonable anticipation of our minds is fulfilled in the professions of the Catholic Church. A Protestant wanders into one of our chapels; he sees a priest kneeling and bowing and throwing up a thurible, and boys in cottas going in and out, and a whole choir and people singing amain all the time, and he has nothing to suggest to him what it is all about; and he calls it mummery, and he walks out again. And would it not indeed be so, my brethren, if this were all? But will he think it mummery when he learns and seriously apprehends the fact, that, according to the belief of a Catholic, the Word Incarnate, the Second Person of the Eternal Trinity, is there bodily present,—hidden, indeed, from our senses, but in no other way withheld from us? He may reject what we believe; he will not wonder at what we do. And so, again, open the Missal, read the minute directions given for the celebration of Mass,—what are the fit dispositions under which the Priest prepares for it, how he is to arrange his every action, movement, gesture, utterance, during the course of it, and what is to be done in case of a variety of supposable accidents. What a mockery would all this be, if the rite meant nothing! But if it be a fact that God the Son is there offered up in human flesh and blood by the hands of man, why, it is plain that no rite whatever, however anxious and elaborate, is equal to the depth of the overwhelming thoughts which are borne in upon the mind by such an action. Thus the usages and ordinances of the Church do not exist for their own sake; they do not stand of themselves; they are not sufficient for themselves; they do not fight against the State their own battle; they are not appointed as ultimate ends; but they are dependent on an inward substance; they protect a mystery; they defend a dogma; they represent an idea; they preach good tidings; they are the channels of grace. They are the outward shape of an inward reality or fact, which no Catholic doubts, which is assumed as a first principle, which is not an inference of reason, but the object of a spiritual sense."

Keep in mind this was written by a man born into an Evangelical family, ordained an Anglican minister and finally received into the Catholic Church. A man who searched the Scriptures and Fathers to find the true faith, and the true body and bride of Christ.

Of solemnities and soldiers

Zenit reports the bishops of England and Wales have responded to diminished observance of holy days of obligation by transferring the solemnities of Our Lord to the nearest Sunday. While the move is intended to deepen the the faith and understanding of these mysteries of the life and mission of Christ, it remains to be seen if such changes have the desired effect. While there is merit in transferring solemnities to the nearest Sunday, keeping them on the date assigned is a way of encouraging the faithful to give up that little extra time during the week for Christ and priests can always celebrate an evening Mass, providing those who must study or work opportunity to worship God and enter into the mysteries of Christ's life.

Also the Father General of the Jesuits in an interview with Zenit said among other things, "It is not strange that, in the service of the Church, some abandoned the security of the trenches to launch themselves defenseless beyond the orthodox demarcations in search of new answers to new problems ... On examining the state of the Society at the meeting of all the major superiors ... we came to the conclusion that the spiritual health of Jesuits was good. The instrument to measure Jesuits' spiritual health has always been and continues to be, unconditional consecration to the mission ... The Pope reminded us recently what the Church expects from the Society with special emphasis on the field of philosophy and theology traditionally cultivated by the Jesuits."

I think the Jesuits need to pay a little more attention to the Rules of the Orthodox Faith as given in the Spiritual Exercises, which still hold true despite their being originally written against the Protestant heresies:

1. All judgment laid aside, we ought to have our mind ready and prompt to obey, in all, the true Spouse of Christ our Lord, which is our holy Mother the Church Hierarchical.
9. To praise all precepts of the Church, keeping the mind prompt to find reasons in their defence and in no manner against them
11. To praise positive and scholastic learning. Because, as it is more proper to the Positive Doctors, as St. Jerome, St. Augustine and St. Gregory, etc., to move the heart to love and serve God our Lord in everything; so it is more proper to the Scholastics, as St. Thomas, St. Bonaventure, and to the Master of the Sentences, etc., to define or explain for our times the things necessary for eternal salvation; and to combat and explain better all errors and all fallacies. For the Scholastic Doctors, as they are more modern, not only help themselves with the true understanding of the Sacred Scripture and of the Positive and holy Doctors, but also, they being enlightened and clarified by the Divine virtue, help themselves by the Councils, Canons and Constitutions of our holy Mother the Church. [Let us not forget what Martin Luther himself said, "Get rid of Thomas, and I will rid you of the Church."]
13. To be right in everything, we ought always to hold that the white which I see, is black, if the Hierarchical Church so decides it, believing that between Christ our Lord, the Bridegroom, and the Church, His Bride, there is the same Spirit which governs and directs us for the salvation of our souls. Because by the same Spirit and our Lord Who gave the ten Commandments, our holy Mother the Church is directed and governed.

Also some of them may need a second opinion about their spiritual health because unconditional consecration to the mission does not necessarily mean unconditional fidelity to the Catholic faith whilst preaching and teaching.

Soldiers of Christ 2

A follow up to the last quotation from The Spirit of St. Ignatius by Fr. de Franciosi:
"'To bring sure ruin upon a Religious Order, it needs only to allow an entrance to the spirit of innovation on any point whatever. Such a change may please you, other changes will be much more pleasing to others, and will seem to them to be absolutely necessary. In this way will be broken, ring after ring, the chain which only continues as such by the mutual dependence of the links, since it is only formed by their union and continuity.' Ignatius was certainly not the advocate of routine, or the systematic enemy of progress, but he was prudently on his guard against the eagerness, so natural to certain minds, to introduce novelties on every opportunity under the pretext of improvement. Every well-regulated community has its own customs and traditions, which are a precious inheritance received from the supernatural wisdom and the experience of its founders. In establishing any custom, or in deciding upon any measure of apparently secondary importance, they were actuated by motives which still hold good, and which those who come after them ought to respect."

Soldiers of Christ

Apparition of Our Lady and the Infant Jesus to St. Ignatius at Monserrat

On this the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola it seems appropriate to draw attention to an article from Our Sunday Visitor which reports on a shortage of Catholic millitary chaplains in US defence force and the vulnerability of Catholic soldiers to proselytizing by evangelicals. Despite Catholic soldiers representing 27 per cent of defence personnel, Catholic priests represent only 7 per cent of chaplains, which means many soldiers are not able to receive the sacraments or support. The situation is made worse by soldiers not having a solid foundation in the faith to be able to defend their beliefs and practices from the criticism of non-Catholics.

On a different note, a quotation from The Spirit of St. Ignatius by Fr. de Franciosi:
"The Protestants in Germany, having tried in vain to obtain the admission of one of their emissaries into the Society, upon whom they had counted much, to manage intellects, and to cause their doctrines to penetrate them insidiously, tried other mean, with no greater success. This was, to send from Venice to the Professed House in Rom, from an unknown person, under pretext of a gift, two large boxes of books calculated to poison youth. The cases arrived, and were placed in the library. Father Oliver Manare having opened them, found that the books at the top of the boxes were orthodox, but that those underneath were heretical. He told the Father Minister, Everard Mercurian, who also examined them, and ascertained that the greater number of these books were by Luther, Melancthon, and other sectaries. It was reported to Ignatius, who, recognising immediately whence such liberality proceeded, ordered all the books to be burnt; he even had the ashes thrown to the winds as if he feared that they might infect the house."

The actions of St. Ignatius in having heretical books burnt are consistent with this advice :
"All that proceeds from heretics should be suspected, especially books, however good they may be. When one reads a good book by a bad man, one is insensibly drawn towards the author, sometimes even so far as to think all that he has written to be reasonable and orthodox."

Finally a quotation which has some bearing on the present state of the Church, its liturgy and some might even say his own order:
"Ignatius would not allow any one, without his knowledge, to alter the practices in force, under pretext of removing any inconvenience or introducing an amendment. He was aware that a person who enter this path does not stop, and that to succeed in introducing one change is an encouragement to endeavour to obtain the acceptance of another. When authority yields thus on one point, everything may at any moment be called in question, and henceforth there is no longer anything stable, to great detriment of a religious body, above all if it is still in its beginning ... 'If I were to live for a thousand years', he used often to say, 'I would never cease repeating, No novelties in theology, philosophy, logic, nor even in teaching grammar.'"

The first Juventutem Australia fundraiser was held last night and despite a few technical problems, went very well. We had been expecting about 55 'patrons' and therefore catered accordingly but with closer to 40 attending, there was quite a lot of food and drinks left over. That however did not lead to the usual waste problems because untouched food was either taken to the priest's house or kept to be served after tomorrow's baptism.

The fundraiser took the form of a 'quiz' or 'trivia' night, for which the blogger prepared questions on several topics ranging from religion to the arts to sport. Pretty much the standard fare you would get on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, albeit without the lifelines and millions. There was little doubt which table would win - the one boasting the two members of our community each with encyclopaedic knowledge. However their victory was not a rout, with the second and third place tables coming with a handful of points. A vote of thanks must go to our MC, who kept the patrons entertained between questions with his wit and wisdom, making jokes in a manner not usually associated with professors of business communications.

As the keeper of the 'purse' I have yet to count how much money was made on the night but it will probably not be nearly enough to cover the cost of all the food and supplies, which were enough for twice the number of attendees. That said, the night did prove a success in informing the community about Juventutem and hopefully they will continue to offer their support to its work.

Our next fundraiser, at least here in Melbourne, will probably be something far simpler like a leaving collection. At least then I won't have to return home with a rubbish bag full of unused plastic bowls, cups, plates and spoons. I will keep them for our next community picnic or if anyone else wants to have a function.

I picked up from the Caroline Chisholm Library a booklet called Grounded in the Faith: Handing on the Deposit of Faith to School Pupils and Students. It was published by the Bishop of Sandhurst in 1975 for use by schools in the diocese and contains some revealing quotes.

Quoting Pope Paul VI to Catholic bishops:
"In the face of ravages being inflicted upon the Christian people by the diffusion of venturesome hypotheses and of opinions that disturb the faith, we have a duty to recall, with the Council, that true theology rests upon the written word of God, together with sacred tradition, as its perpetual foundation ... Dearly beloved brothers, let us not be reduced to silence for fear of criticism ... However necessary may be the function of theologians, it is not to the learned that God has confided the duty of authentically interpreting the Faith of the Church; that faith is borne by the life of the people whose bishops are responsible for them to God. It is for bishops to tell the people what God asks them to believe."

Quoting Cardinal Seper, prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith:
"I have much faith in the Catholic sense, the sense of Catholic orthodoxy amongst our laity ... But it seems to me, alas, that the Bishops, who obtained many powers for themselves at the Council, are often to blame because in this crisis they are not exercising their powers as they should. Rome is too far away to cope with every scandal, and Rome is not well obeyed. If all bishops would deal decisively with these aberrations as they occur the situation would be different."

On Pre-school Religious Instruction in the Home:
"All parents have the duty and grace of state to form their children religiously by way of example. This they do at home, as their sons and daughters pass through infancy to early childhood, then through adolescence to early maturity.

When parents show their tiny children how to make the Sign of the Cross and how to pray the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be to the Father, they are teaching the children, in a child's way, the greatest truths that any man can know, namely the Unity and Trinity of God, that God is One and God is Three, Father, Son and Holy Spirit; the Incarnation; the divine motherhood of Mary; the fact of sin; Redemption and the Cross; the greatness and goodness of God; Grace; the supreme importance of death in the state of grace.

If small children have witnessed a baptism, or have watched their parents go to the confessional, or have accompanied them to the altar-rails, they have already a glimmering of the Sacraments. If they have watched the Crib with gladness at Christmas and have gazed in silent sadness at the Crucifix, they are beginning to grasp the wonder of the love of Christ. If they have looked at the sanctuary lamp, the altar and the tabernacle, if they bow their head when the sanctuary bell rings at Mass, they are acquiring a child's knowledge of the Mystery of faith.

If children see in their own homes sacred images and pictures of Our Blessed Lady and the saints and Angels, if they hear of their Guardian Angel and the Angel of their brothers and sisters, if their mother or father has sprinkled them with holy water, especially as they go to rest at night, they are beginning to think of that unseen world where the angels and saints live with God and towards which their own lives are being directed."

On Religious Practices at School
"Senior pupils are to be trained in approved and properly ordered liturgies. They are to be instructed in private mental prayer. So-called charismatic prayer, or public spontaneous prayer, or prayer in tongues, is not be practiced in schools.

Pupils are to be taught the serious obligation of going to Mass on Sundays and Holy Days; they are to know that deliberate omission is mortally sinful. Parents are reminded of their twofold obligation in this regard.

Let all remember, that while Mass in English is permitted and encouraged, Latin remains the official language and by direction of Vatican II it is to be preserved. Hence the people are to know how to say or sing in Latin the people's parts of the Mass: the Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Pater Noster, Agnus Dei.

In order to foster the sense of religious faith and to engender a personal lively belief in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament, the Church's most precious treasure, priests, parents and teacher should cooperate in promoting among pupils reverence in Church and observance both of rubrics and legitimate customs. Some of the these rubrics and customs are the following:

(a) Holy Communion is not to be received or administered on the hand.
(b) the communicant is not to take into his or her hands the chalice, unless presented by deacon or priest
(c) the preferred way of receiving Holy Communion under both kinds is by moistening the Sacred Host in the Chalice
(d) the traditional composition, size and shape of the Altar Breads is to be maintained in the diocese
(e) where altar rails exist, the Communicant should kneel
(f) members of the Congregation should not enter the sanctuary or gather around the altar during Mass
(g) if people receive Holy Communion standing, they should make a visible reverent act of adoration before communicating; if they receive kneeling, then that act of of kneeling is itself the required act of adoration.
(h) children, as well as adults are to be informed that Holy Communion under both kinds adds nothing of sacrament, of grace, of supernatural reality to Holy Communion under one form only
(i) a reverent genuflection before the Blessed Sacrament should be made as one takes one's place, or leaves from the Church
(j) a reverent sign of the Cross with holy water is made coming into the Church
(k) a genuflection is made when passing in front of the tabernacle
(l) unnecessary salutations and everyday conversations are excluded from Church or Chapel; they are disedifying, irreverent to Our Blessed Lord, distracting to those who come to pray

From the Lenten Pastoral Letter of Bishop Stewart
"Catholic schools are under threat from outside pressure and from internal stress. We cannot close our eyes to a weakening of the system.

The core of this malaise consists in a faulty presentation, first of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and second of those sacred truths which he revealed and commanded to be handed in their entirety to all succeeding generations ...

From the very beginning the teaching of Peter and the Apostles has been resisted, even in the Church itself ... The Church has seen the rise and fall of many heresies. At different times bishops, priests, religious and laity have found Christ's sayings hard, His teaching in faith and morals difficult. They have pitted their vain speculations against His unerring words, closely guarded and divinely guaranteed in His Church. Victims of their own conceit, they have seduced many by introducing what the Apostles calls 'new intruding forms of speech, quibbling knowledge that is knowledge in name only.' Our own age is not immune. Ancient fallacies are dressed in modern garb and taught with a new vocabulary. Fresh attempts are made to whittle down the meaning of the Faith; the true word of Sacred Scripture is distorted by the innovator ...

While the teaching apostolate seems to have become the exclusive prerogative of certain self-styled catechetical experts, honest, faithful Parents find themselves barred from their bounden duty of watching over the Christian formation of their own children. Rendered almost helpless on the sidelines, they are compelled to look on what they rightly judge to be travesties of liturgical worship, devious doctrine and dangerous trends in moral behaviour.

Yet it is not without significance that parental representations played a strong part in moving the Bishops of England and Wales to reform their own catechectical centre.

What has all this to do with our schools?

To find the answer you have only to read certain popular text books, heretical or near-heretical, found in some schools. You have only to examine new pedagogies, strong in method but practically devoid of Christian content. You have only to ask about the endless discussions, too often among the uninformed, and sometimes cynically described as a pooling of mutual ignorance. You will find intuition replaces reason, personal experience supplanting the Truths of Faith and human emotions becoming the basis of the moral code.

We should be blinding ourselves if we failed to see all is not well with our schools. Too many pupils are affected by teaching that is inadequate or even contrary to true relgious belief and practice. The speculations of vogue theologians have a fascination for their devotees, even when such speculations are opposed to the authoritative doctrine of the Church, and, in time, these aberrations find their way into the class room.

We must not overlook the harmful effect which the rejection of authority is having on the Church today. There are increasing defections from the ranks of clerical and religious life, and a serious falling off in Catholic practice among the laity, particularly the youth ...

We will be rightly condemned if by default we deprive children of their Catholic heritage by countenancing errors in Doctrine or by neglecting to impart to the coming generation the certainties of our God-given Faith. Great as may be the difficulties to maintain our Catholic School System, they can be overcome with faith, courage and a resurgence of that spirit of loving dedication which made possible its beginnings and truly impressive results in the history of the Catholic Church in Australia"

When do you know you have lost your faith? That's a question I have been pondering lately as I struggle to understand how in doctrine, morality and worship the contemporary Church can permit so many, often radical, changes.

Catholic News Service reports a commission is to be established to review the "apparitions" at Medjugorje and pastoral provisions for pilgrims. More specifically the commission is to review the 1991 bishop's report which found there are no grounds for the supernatural. The Archbishop of Sarajevo, Cardinal Puljic said the commission will be under the Bosnian bishop's conference but the appointments made by the Congregation for Doctrine of the Faith.

However what makes this event a little suspicious is the Cardinal's declining to answer if the commission was the idea of the bishop or the CDF. The Archbishop of Mostar-Duvno, which includes Medjugorje, in a recent homily said it was the judgment of the bishops that :

1. On the basis of Church investigations of the events of Medjugorje, it cannot be determined that these events involve supernatural apparitions or revelations. This means that till now the Church has not accepted, neither as supernatural nor as Marian, any of the apparitions.
2. Priests who canonically administer this parish of Medjugorje or those who come as visitors, are not authorised to express their private views contrary to the official position of the Church on the so-called “apparitions” and “messages”, during celebrations of the sacraments, neither during other common acts of piety, nor in the Catholic media.
3. The Catholic faithful are not only free from any obligation to believe in the authenticity of the “apparitions” but they must also know that church pilgrimages are not allowed, whether official or private, individual or group, or from other parishes, if they presuppose the authenticity of the “apparitions” or if by undertaking them attempt to certify these "apparitions”.
4. On the basis of the investigations and experience gained thus far, throughout these last 25 years, the Church has not confirmed a single “apparition” as authentically being the Madonna

If the bishops have already made there mind up as to the authenticity of the "apparitions", then why should they need to have another commission? That leaves the CDF but according to the Archbishop, even they "questioned how all these apparitions could be considered authentic for the Catholic faithful. They particularly do not seem to be authentic when it is known beforehand that these so-called apparitions will occur." If this is the case, then who could be asking for a new commission into the "apparitions"? The answer could be those who are behind the "apparitions", which have generated millions in believers and dollars, two things the Church is desperate to hold onto, particularly in Western countries where interest in Medjugorje is strongest.

What we need more of today is a sense of tradition, truth and transcendence, all of which come from God. But what we are offered is the zeitgeist, falsehood and a mirror to look at ourselves, all of which come from man.

What is more you cannot be selective with what you believe, taking the odd reference from a council or pope of the distant past or using the odd custom or practice of previous generations. You must either accept the whole or accept nothing. For it is to be guilty of the same crime as those who broke away from the Church.

I am sure anyone who is reading this blog knows the Second Vatican Council was called not to settle any doctrinal or dogmatic issue, as with previous councils, but for pastoral reasons. Now from what I have been told by Catholics who lived before the council, parishes and priests did a good job of providing for the pastoral care of the faithful, in some cases going well beyond the call of duty. One need only consider how the corporal, material and spiritual health of parishioners was provided for by priests been available for confession for more than just a few minutes before Mass, then offering you sound advice and sober penance, parish social and youth groups, which were some of the most lively places, numerous confraternities and sodalities for Catholics of all ages, parish cricket and football teams and let's not forget the times when the hat was passed around to raise some funds for a family in need. While it may be argued that some of these were as a result of social conditions, for example prejudice towards Catholics may have prevented the family in need from getting a loan or support for their sick child, others are not. Clearly what the Church claimed to be providing was not for the pastoral needs of the faithful but the social and political needs of the rest of society.

The controversy over Welsh singer Charlotte Church's new television show in which she insulted the Catholic faith and the subsequent withdrawal by Ignatius Press of her merchandise should probably have been expected given that two years ago she 'dropped in' and 'debuted' a song from her then upcoming album at the 'Mardi Gras' in Wales.

Speaking of 'Mardi Gras', Catholics should endeavor to reclaim this day by remembering that its traditional focus was to be shriven or absolved of your sins, hence its other name Shrove Tuesday, and a family feast before the fasting of Lent, hence the customary doughnuts and pancakes. Perhaps a "Pancakes and Penance" day could be instituted in which Catholics are encouraged to receive absolution and then partake of some pancakes, or vice-versa in case you overindulge.

I commenced reading of St. Thomas More's A Dialogue of Comfort against Tribulation on the tram today. As any good Catholic knows, to the children of this world the very thought of suffering is enough to make them tremble and take cover, for it is an obstacle to their desires for health, honour, pleasure and power. There are of course the optimistic pragmatists who see suffering as an opportunity to develop character or identify with others. Of course even with them suffering remains an obstacle. That leaves the Christian for whom suffering is actually redemptive, insofar as it is received only to be offered in union with passion and death of Christ. For the Christian realises that though not posited by God's will, suffering is permitted as a consequence of our fallen nature and as a means of directing ourselves towards He who alone is our greatest good, therefore our most sure hope and consolation.

UCA News has reported that Cardinal Kapser in his address to the Federation of Asian Bishop's Conferences said:

1. The Second Vatican Council maintained that the church of Christ has its concrete location in the Catholic Church.
2. Unity is a fundamental concept in both the New Testament and Creeds, yet divisions have arisen through Church history.
3. Christian unity is not accidental but at the centre of God's will and the Catholic faith, while division is against God's will and Christ's intention.
4. The goal of ecumenism is full communion yet this is not a simple return to the Catholic Church but rather a common pilgrimage to the fullness of catholicity that Jesus Christ wants for his church. The closer we come to Christ in this way, the closer we come to each other in order, ultimately, to be fully one in Christ.
5. What we need primarily is a spirituality of communion and unless everyone follows this spiritual path, external structures of communion would serve very little purpose.

Could someone please inform me as to the meaning of "a common pilgrimage to the fullness of catholicity" and "a spirituality of communion".

An Afterthought

In my previous post I mentioned that Cardinal Kasper is addressing a seminar on the challenge of Pentecostalism and it just occurred to me that this is actually pointless because the meeting of the Holy Father with representatives of new movements on Whitsunday included many of that persuasion. This would imply the Church has extended an open embrace to them and really has no fears, else they would not have been invited.

On a related matter, why is evangelisation often reduced to merely sharing your faith and quite often just how it makes you feel, instead of engaging others in the kind of lively debate for which Catholics of the past were renowned, such as the Catholic Evidence Guild? I know that people today regard religion as entirely personal and practical, yet that is no excuse for not challenging them to use their intellect.

Catholic World News reports that Cardinal Walter Kasper, prefect of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, is presiding over a seminar on the challenge of Pentecostalism, a response to the rise of the movement throughout the world and in particular developing countries, where it no doubt appeals to those who still believe in the power of 'spirits'.

From the fact the seminar is being presided by Cardinal Kasper, it would appear the Church regards Pentecostalism as a phenomena first and foremost Protestant or at least foreign to orthodox Catholicism, which must be reconciled with orthodox Catholicism. However given the Church's record of pandering and placating its 'separated brethren' the purpose of any discussion or investigation may merely be to draw yet another step closer to a universal, though by no means Catholic, church. Also given the number of Catholics who have been drawn to Pentecostalism, the Church no doubt would like to reassure them there is nothing wrong with going of with the 'spirit', even if he may not be 'holy'.

As you may guess, the blogger for one is not enthusiastic about Pentecostalism and this is because the modern Church has been too open to 'spirits' of one kind or another, with the result that everything inside it has been swept aside. One need only mention the aforementioned 'spirit of Vatican II', the 'zeitgeist', the 'Cosmic spirit' and the 'spirits' which keep announcing to souls the Church is wrong on this or that issue.

History Never Repeats, I Tell Myself Before I Go To Sleep

For all those who are seeking scriptural support for the restoration of the Traditional Mass, I present the following from the twenty-ninth chaper of the Second Book of Chronicles. [Emphasis added]

"And he did that which was pleasing in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done.
In the first year and month of his reign he opened the doors of the house of the Lord, and repaired them.
And he brought the priests and the Levites, and assembled them in the east street.
And he said to them: Hear me, ye Levites, and be sanctified, purify the house of the Lord the God of your fathers, and take away all filth out of the sanctuary.
Our fathers have sinned and done evil in the sight of the Lord God, forsaking him: they have turned away their faces from the tabernacle of the Lord, and turned their backs.
They have shut up the doors that were in the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burnt incense, nor offered holocausts in the sanctuary of the God of Israel.
Therefore the wrath of the Lord hath been stirred up against Juda and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, and to destruction, and to be hissed at, as you see with your eyes.
Now therefore I have a mind that we make a covenant with the Lord the God of Israel, and he will turn away the wrath of his indignation from us.
My sons, be not negligent: the Lord hath chosen you to stand before him, and to minister to him, and to worship him, and to burn incense to him ...
And they gathered together their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and went in according to the commandment of the king, and the precept of the Lord, to purify the house of God.
And the priests went into the temple of the Lord to sanctify it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found within to the entrance of the house of the Lord, and the Levites took it away, and carried it out abroad to the torrent Cedron.
And they began to cleanse on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the same month they came into the porch of the temple of the Lord, and they purified the temple in eight days, and on the sixteenth day of the same month they finished what they had begun.
And they went in to king Ezechias, and said to him: We have sanctified all the house of the Lord, and the altar of holocaust, and the vessels thereof, and the table of proposition with all its vessels,
And all the furniture of the temple, which king Achaz in his reign had defiled, after his transgression; and behold they are all set forth before the altar of the Lord.
And king Ezechias rising early, assembled all the rulers of the city, and went up into the house of the Lord: And they offered together seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven he goats for sin, for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, for Juda: and he spoke to the priests the sons of Aaron, to offer them upon the altar of the Lord.
Therefore they killed the bullocks, and the priests took the blood, and poured it upon the altar; they killed also the rams, and their blood they poured also upon the altar, and they killed the lambs, and poured the blood upon the altar.
And they brought the he goats for sin before the king, and the whole multitude, and they laid their hand upon them:
And the priests immolated them, and sprinkled their blood before the altar for an expiation of all Israel: for the king had commanded that the holocaust and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.
And he set the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, and psalteries, and harps according to the regulation of David the king, and of Gad the seer, and of Nathan the prophet: for it was the commandment of the Lord by the hand of his prophets.
And the Levites stood, with the instruments of David, and the priests with trumpets.
And Ezechias commanded that they should offer holocausts upon the altar: and when the holocausts were offered, they began to sing praises to the Lord, and to sound with trumpets, and divers instruments which David the king of Israel had prepared.
And all the multitude adored, and the singers, and the trumpeters, were in their office till the holocaust was finished. And when the oblation was ended, the king, and all that were with him bowed down and adored.
And Ezechias and the princes commanded the Levites to praise the Lord with the words of David, and Asaph the seer: and they praised him with great joy, and bowing the knee adored.
And Ezechias added, and said: You have filled your hands to the Lord, come and offer victims, and praises in the house of the Lord. And all the multitude offered victims, and praises, and holocausts with a devout mind.
And the number of the holocausts which the multitude offered, was seventy bullocks, a hundred rams, and two hundred lambs.
And they consecrated to the Lord six hundred oxen, and three thousand sheep.
But the priests were few, and were not enough to flay the holocausts: wherefore the Levites their brethren helped them, till the work was ended, and priests were sanctified, for the Levites are sanctified with an easier rite than the priests.
So there were many holocausts, and the fat of peace offerings, and the libations of holocausts: and the service of the house of the Lord was completed.
And Ezechias, and all the people rejoiced because the ministry of the Lord was accomplished. For the resolution of doing this thing was taken suddenly."

While in the ancient observance of the Israelites it was the king who commanded the priests and Levites to offer animals in sacrifice, while giving praise with the psalms accompanied by the instruments of David, in the traditional observance of the Church it is God who commanded the priest to offer Christ as a sacrifice and sacrament, while giving praise with the psalms accompanied by the organ.

NB For all those who think the observances of the Israelites do not apply to Christians, let me tell you that the offertory prayers of the Novus Ordo Missae are based on reconstructions of old Jewish blessings. [The issue of it being a reconstruction and therefore subject to modernist errors is something else.]

Indult or Insult

I have been rereading the documents on the indult Mass beginning with Quattor Abhinc Annos and realised they contain some extraordinary lines. For example Quattor Abhinc Annos says:

"Such celebration must be made only for the benefit of those groups that request it ..."
Did Archbishop Mayer think the mass of all ages would not be of benefit to other Catholics, would not appeal to their desire for the transcendent and true? Did Archbishop Mayer think those who requested the mass of all ages were the enemies of the Church like Marxists or Protestants and had to be placated in a spirit of false irenicism?

"There must be no interchanging of texts and rites of the two Missals."
Did Archbishop Mayer think those who requested the mass of all ages would be subject to the "spirit of Vatican II" and do as they please during the Mass, defying Quo Primum? Did Archbishop Mayer think those who requested the mass of all ages would even consider the new texts and rites fit to be included in the Mass?

"This concession, indicative of the Holy Father's solicitude for his children, must be used in such a way as not to prejudice the faithful observance of the liturgical reform in the life of the respective ecclesial communities."
Did Archbishop Mayer not realise that if the faithful requested the mass of all ages there must have been something deficient in the liturgical reform? On another matter, what happened to the words Church or parish and why use the ambiguous ecclesial communities, which could include non-Catholics?

The Statement of the Commission to Examine the Legal Status of the Traditional Rite of Mass, which included both Cardinals Mayer and Ratzinger, contained the following:

"Priests cannot be obliged to celebrate the new rite of Mass; the bishops cannot forbid or place restrictions on the celebration of the traditional rite of Mass, whether in public or in private ... it is not the priests who are disobedient when they celebrate the Tridentine Mass, but it is the bishops who are entirely outside the law when they unlawfully attempt to forbid the Traditional Mass. This fact is also clearly demonstrates that penalties inflicted on priests for celebrating the Tridentine Mass are null and void, as is clearly stated in the Apostolic Constitution Quo Primum "

If priests cannot be obliged to celebrate the new rite of Mass, why didn't the Vatican issue a statement to that effect and give priests a choice? If bishops act outside the law by forbidding the Traditional Mass, why were they not reprimanded? If Quo Primum was recognised as still being in effect, how could the Mass have been subject to such wholesale changes when Pope Pius V forbid them?

Pope John Paul II in his Apostolic Letter Eccelsia Dei writes:

"To all those Catholic faithful who feel attached to some previous liturgical and disciplinary forms of the Latin tradition, I wish to manifest my will to facilitate their ecclesial communion by means of the necessary measures to guarantee respect for their aspirations."

Why did the Pope regard those who requested the Traditional Mass as either sentimentalists, with a mere attachment to it like you would have for an old dress, or schismatics, since the rite had never been abrogated and was perfectly valid. [The issue of Archbishop Lefebvre's objections to the decrees of Vatican II should have been kept seperate from his objections to the New Mass, which came after the council.]

Following my previous post on Medjugorje, I would add one other question to my list:

Why doesn't the Vatican take a more active interest in reported apparitions, miracles, prophecies and revelations?

If the Church is concerned for the spiritual welfare of the faithful, it should attempt to provide more clearer and binding judgments. Also the Church should endeavour to inform the faithful about the doctrinal errors being propagated by people like Vassula Ryden and Luisa Picaretta. For example, the latter claimed that her human will was in perfect conformity with the divine will, so that everything she said and did was exactly what God wanted, in other words she was sinless. (For to sin is to act contary to the divine will.) Yet for a start who is she to have received a grace which no saint ever received and how can she be certain that her will did conform perfectly to God's. Secondly, such a grace would make her in the sight of God equal to Christ or at least His mother, who by virtue of her Immaculate Conception would have exercised her will perfectly. As a friend jokingly remarked, if what Luisa Picaretta said was true, she would have to be included in the canon of the Mass, right after Our Lady.

As you can see from the case of Luisa Picaretta, there are real dangers to the faith of Catholics if the Church does not make itself heard and encourage bishops to exercise their magisterial office.

Quotable Quote 20

The secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship, Archbishop Albert Ranjith, in an interview with I-Media said the Church needs to avoid the extremes of every priest or bishop doing as he wants and being closed in the past. Referring to liturgical abuses, His Grace feared that unless they were ended "people will attend the Tridentine Mass, and our churches will be empty."

For a man whose work is the liturgy he seems to have forgotten the Tridentine Mass is the property, or rather patrimony, of the whole Catholic Church and not just a few apostolates scattered across the globe. He also has forgotten the Tridentine Mass has been an important focal point for those discovering or returning to the Catholic Church. Further it has truly lived up to being "the Mass of all Ages" especially among Catholic youth without having to adapt to contemporary culture. Finally the Tridentine Mass has provided the faithful with a real and distinct Catholic identity, free from Protestantism.

Malthus meets Mao

Latest news from China is a blind activist, who exposed how the one-child policy is being enforced through forced abortions as late as eight months, is about to face trial for disrupting traffic, gathering a crowd and destroying property. This is but the latest attempt to silence Chen Guangcheng, who has previously been under house arrest, had his wife and children taken into custody and been subject to the usual violations of his person for which totalitarian regimes, even when they open their markets, are renowned.

Quotable Quote 19

From an interview on Zenit with Archbishop Ferreira da Costa Ortiga, primate of Portugal:
"If on one hand we are witnessing the adherence of many people to this co-responsibility [for the mission of Christ and His Church] -- having the laity take on tasks that traditionally were of priests, and priests being freer to do what corresponds to them, not only in the liturgy but also in other areas, fewer priests, therefore, are necessary, because before, the priest did everything. On the other hand, we also know that the number of priests is beginning to diminish based precisely on our customs and traditions."

Reading these words I cannot fail to notice that His Grace seems to draw a distinction between "tasks that were traditionally of priests" and "what corresponds to them", as though in the past priests were assuming responsibility for what was not theirs. Yet if we ask ourselves what is the task of priests, what is proper to their office and vocation, we find an eloquent answer in the prayer of Pere Henri Lacordiare OP, the reformer of the French Dominicans:

To live in the midst of the world without wishing its pleasures; To be a
member of each family, yet belonging to none; To share all sufferings; to
penetrate all secrets; to heal all wounds; To go from men to God and offer Him
their prayers; To return from God to men to bring pardon and hope; To have a
heart of fire for charity, and A heart of bronze for chastity; To teach, pardon,
console, and bless always. What a glorious life, And it is yours O priest of
Jesus Christ.

The Archbishop's comments that "fewer priests are necessary" raises an important question of whether a shortage of priests is a crisis,particularlyy when we consider that a priestly or religious vocation has always been an exception and Christ Himself only called twelve men to share and continue his ministry. I for one believe that priests and religious are necessary in the Church, and should not have their duties diminished by automatically handing them to the laity. Their life is meant to be the closest to Christ and if it means they have to do that little more, so be it. God will give them the grace and in due time the reward.

A Thought

I was watching Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine for the first time and saw his interview with Marilyn Manson, whose music was cited as an influence on the two young killers. During the interview Mr. Moore allowed the musician ample opportunity to defend his music and even informed him of the number of bombs dropped by US forces on the day of the shooting. Yet one thing Mr. Moore failed to do was to ask the musician why members of his band had taken names from notorious serial killers such as Charles Manson and John Wayne Gacy. I suppose Mr. Moore had not done his research properly or maybe just forgot but in the opinion of the blogger it certainly was something which should have been asked.

The recent controversy over comments made by the bishop of Mostar-Duvno, where Medjugorje is located, leads me to ask:

1. Why doesn't the Code of Canon Law prohibit the publication of material about new apparitions, devotions, miracles, prophecies and revelations?
2. Why does the Vatican deny it can speak authoritively on such matters when it has clearly done so in the past, for example with Fatima and Lourdes?
3. Why does the Vatican permit pilgrimages and tours, even with priests to supply the pastoral needs of the faithful, to sites associated with apparitions, miracles and revelations which have not been authenticated?
4. Why do Catholics regard the authority of prophets and visionaries as greater than bishops, who are the shepherds of the Church and successors of the apostles to whom Christ said 'He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me'?
5. Why do Catholics regard apparitions and private revelations as greater than Scripture and Tradition? St. Ignatius of Loyola writes that "We should put away completely our own opinion and keep our minds ready and eager to give our entire obedience to our holy Mother the hierarchical Church, Christ our Lord's undoubted Spouse." For "linking Christ our Lord the Bridegroom and His Bride the Church, there is but one and the same Spirit, ruling and guiding us for our soul's good."
6. Why do those associated with private revelations and apparitions turn them into multi-million dollar businesses and live in luxury, when Christ himself demanded a spirit of detachment from wordly goods, at least for those who would be more perfect in the kingdom of God?
7. Why do modern apparitions and private revelations not continue in the tradition of those which the Church has recognised? For example, those who have received apparitions or revelations in the past have always deferred decisions on their authenticity to the Church before proceeding to make them known. To those who claim modern apparitions are merely adapted to the times, let me remind you that we should follow the Holy Ghost not the zeitgeist.

Quotable Quotes 15, 16, 17 & 18

From a paper on the state of the Anglican Church as quoted in The Age newspaper:
"Theological liberalism slowly sucks out the oxygen of classical belief that produces passionate faith ... We cannot continue a Vicar of Dibley syndrome unless we want to be trivialised as a charming anachronism or a historical theme park. Remember they are laughing at us, not with us."

From Jefferts Schori, the new head of the Episcopalian General Convention, as quoted in Anglicanism at the Crossroads:
"Our focus needs to be on feeding people who go to bed hungry, on providing primary education to girls and boys, on healing people with AIDS, on addressing tuberculosis and malaria, on sustainable development. That ought to be the primary focus."

From Charlotte Allen of Beliefnet as quoted in the same work:
[Churches and movements that have] "blurred doctrine and softened moral precepts are demographically declining and, in the case of the Episcopal Church, disintegrating ... When a church doesn't take itself seriously, neither do its members."

From the conclusion of the same work:
"As a general observation, churches that adhere to traditional teaching, offer transcendent truth and demand a high commitment from their members are those that enjoy growth. Following the latest liberal trends, on the other hand, leads to decline. Something for all Christians to consider."

NB Anglicanism at the Crossroads appeared on the latest Zenit Weekly Analysis

He was not a man called by God but chosen by his own. He claimed not to worship God but to honour men. He came not to offer a sacrifice at the altar, let alone the sacrifice of Christ Himself, but to celebrate a supper at the table and preside at a gathering of two or more in the name of Christ. Even when he reluctantly consented to offer a sacrifice, it was only in praise and thanksgiving, never in reparation and supplication. He gave not a sacrament which veiled the presence of Christ but merely embodied the unity of men. He was like Luther and Cranmer of old, yet he dared call himself a Catholic and a priest.

Raving Religious Rants

At the moment I am enduring a crisis of conscience and faith because I find it impossible to reconcile what the Catholic Church has taught on doctrinal matters in the last forty years with what it had taught in the previous nineteen hundred years.

Take for instance the Church's position on its "seperated brethren", who like the prodigal son took their inheritance and threw it all away. In a strange twist, instead of the prodigal returning to be reconciled, it is his father who is chasing after him and seeing that he has squandered everything, decides that he must do the same. Yet according to Cardinal Newman, the invisible peritus of the Second Vatican Council, "Now Protestant and Catholic are not both right and both wrong: there is but one truth, not two truths; and that one truth is in the Catholic religion."

Another case in point is evangelisation. Once Catholics were zealous for both the salvation and sanctification of souls. Of course to be sanctified required God's grace and the Catholic Church alone held the full treasury of grace, including the most effectual source which is the Mass. Thus it was important not only to believe in Christ but also to be a member of His mystical yet visible body. Today the Catholic is faced with a dilemna because though encouraged to evangelise, he must also respect religious liberty, which often means letting non-Catholics and non-Christians remain in error and peril. Membership of the Church seems to be out of the question because it is merely a human institution which shall soon give way to the kingdom of God, therefore the only prerequisite is to live a good life, although that in itself is subject to interpretation.

Standing on the precipice

Our Lord may have given St. Peter the keys of the kingdom but it appears some of his successors have like the scribes of old taken away the keys, not entering therein themselves and hindering those who were entering. And the key which has been taken away is none other than sacrifice of the Mass, which has been reduced from a mystery to a mockery, from an act of worshipping the Most Holy Trinity to an act of warfare upon everything the Church once held so dear.

Elsewhere our Lord spoke of those instructed in the kingdom of heaven as like a householder who brings forth out of his treasure new things and old. Yet today we find the greatest of all treasures, the most beautiful thing this side of heaven, not brought forth in many places and even where it is, carefully placed amidst the shadows, so that only those who truly seek the kingdom of God and his justice are able to find it.

If all this seems like the rantings of a "fundamentalist", "sentimentalist" or "traditionalist", in short a madman, I say with St. Paul, "I am not mad, but I speak words of truth and soberness. For the king (read popes) knoweth of these things ... For I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him. For neither was any of these things done in a corner."

Missale Romanum

If you ever read Pope Paul VI's Apostolic Constitution on the New Roman Missal, ask yourselves the following questions:

1. If the Roman Missal of 1570, promulgated by Pope St. Pius V, has been so beneficial and fruitful, how could it have been suppressed until Pope John Paul's II indult and even now remain unknown to the greater part of the faithful?
2. What is the present day mentality and can it be reconciled with Catholic beliefs and practices? In asking this question keep in mind or consult the writings of the same, Pope Pius XII, and his two previous namesakes, especially on Modernism.
3. Has the text and rites of the New Roman Missal actually expressed more clearly the holy, therefore divine, things which they signify?
4. How much can liturgical sources discovered today have added to what those entrusted with preparing the Roman Missal of 1570 used? In asking this question keep in mind the world had not been subject to the revolutions which resulted in countless documents being destroyed.
5. What bearing do liturgical formulas of the Orient have on the liturgy of the West? In asking this question keep in mind the Oriental Churches have their own distinct theology of the Mass, which naturally will be reflected in their liturgical formulas, and themselves have not made use of these discoveries.
6. Did the faithful actually know about these hidden treasures let alone desire their introduction into the Mass? Keep in mind the bishops did not ask the faithful if they wanted their Mass changed but only theologians, including non-Catholics.
7. If the Western Church as early as the fourth century settled on a single anaphora (read Eucharistic prayer) what does it matter that the Eastern Church has several?
8. How can the Pope justify taking the words "mysterium fidei" from their original context? Keep in mind that previously these words were part of the consecration of wine and were a reference to the mystery of transubstantiation, by which Christ is made present body and blood on the altar. Today they are used as an invitation to consider Christ's death, resurrection and second coming.
9. How can anything be added to the Mass without advantage either to God or the faithful by making the Mass more beautiful, good, holy or true?
10. What does the Pope mean when he refers to suffering "injury through accidents of history"?
11. Why doesn't the Pope refer to that other Word of God, made flesh upon the altar, which is the true bond of charity, food of souls and source of grace? Keep in mind that since Protestants do not believe in the sacrifice of the Mass or sacrament of Communion, their "services" focus only on scripture and sermons.
12. Following from the last question, why does the Pope appear to be advocating the Protestant doctrine of Sola scriptura?
13. What are the new needs for which new texts must be provided?
14. Can the words "instrument of unity and witness to the purity of worship" be applied to the New Roman Missal, when improvisation, inculturation and optionalism has made it almost impossible to observe the same rite in two Churches?
15. Did not God Himself create the diversity of languages as a punishment for men trying to reach to heaven by their own hands and make their name famous? Keep in mind that the Mass is meant first and foremost to be an act of worship.

NB This is not meant to be a tirade against the New Roman Missal but an attempt to rouse Catholics, who like the blogger, have not being properly catechized in the liturgy.

The Precious Blood

The death of Abel told us that he must die,

a brother at a brother's hands.

The Paschal Lamb showed us that he must die,

His blood to be our redemption.

The sacrifices of the Law showed he must die,

the one Victim of the Law to come.

Isaias the prophet told us the must die,

with his bruises we would be healed.

The fate of the prophets showed us he must die,

the crowning witness of all.

He Himself told us that His blood would be shed

for the remission of sins

That His blood would be drink unto life everlasting

And the blood was poured out lavishly

In the Garden flowing to the ground

From His face when He was struck

From His back when He was scourged

From His head when He was crowned

From His shoulder when He carried the cross

From His hands and feet when He was nailed

From His heart when it was pierced

Until there was no more

One said: I am innocent of His blood

Others: His blood be upon us

One: I have sinned in betraying innocent blood

Lord, I will say all these

For indeed I have sinned

But let thy blood be upon me

That at length I may be innocent

"Drown yourselves in the blood of Jesus Christ"

Cried St. Catherine of Siena

by Archbishop Alban Goodier, SJ

Glory be to to Jesus, Who in bitter pains,

Pour'd for me the life-blood, From His sacred veins!

What do we make of the bulls, councils, decrees and encyclicals prior to the Second Vatican Council which are contradicted by those afterwards? Do we presume the popes, bishops and theologians responsible for them, which includes some of the Church's greatest saints, were a) erroneous, b) evil, c) ignorant, d) insane or e) two or more of the above?

While doctrines develop they can not be contradicted or destroyed, particularly when the magisterium acts in the name of Christ, the Wisdom and Word of God, and is guided by the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of truth who teaches all things.