What Does The Prayer Really Say?
W D T P R S

Let those suffering from hysteria over the Pope changing the Good Friday prayers in the older rite consider this.  This deals with the great Luigi De Magristris.  If there were ever a man to be made Cardinal, it would be he.

My emphases and comments:

Archbishop to ordain priests using Tridentine Mass in Rome cathedral

By John Thavis
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS)—A former Vatican official will ordain four traditionalist priests in a Tridentine Mass celebrated in the cathedral of Rome, church officials said.  [Yes, the Vicarius would have had to approve this.  But do you think for a moment it didn’t require the Pope’s approval?  So, old Mass… ordination… in his cathedral church.]

The Feb. 23 ordination Mass in the Basilica of St. John Lateran will be the most prominent celebration of the old rite in Rome since Pope Benedict XVI relaxed restrictions on its use last year.  [Brick by brick, people.  What will be next?] 

The Mass, to be celebrated by Archbishop Luigi De Magistris, will follow the 1962 Roman Missal, known commonly as the Tridentine rite. In July 2007 the pope issued new rules, saying the old rite could be used much more freely than before.

Those to be ordained are members of the Good Shepherd Institute, [ROFL!  The French bishops will love this.  REmember the kerfuffle about this group?  So much, therefore, as to say: "Get over it."] a society of apostolic life that uses only the Tridentine rite. The institute, based in France, is made up primarily of priests and seminarians who left the schismatic [CNS’s word, but I don’t think that represents the official position of the USCCB.] Society of St. Pius X and reconciled with the Vatican in 2006.

The Society of St. Pius X, founded by the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, split with the Vatican years ago over liturgical and other issues.

In a statement, the Good Shepherd Institute expressed thanks to the pope and the Diocese of Rome.  [You can bet they did!]

"We wish to extend our heartfelt thanks to the ecclesiastical authorities who have graciously allowed the celebration of this Mass to take place in the extraordinary form and in the cathedral of the Holy Father," the statement said.

"The Institute of the Good Shepherd wishes to take this opportunity to demonstrate its devotion to and communion with the Holy Father and, though him, its communion with the whole church," it said.  [Gee… I’d like to celebrate my communion with Peter too.  How about another big Mass in St. Peter’s with Peter himself?]

Archbishop De Magistris is the retired head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, an office that deals with indulgences and matters of conscience. Last September, he celebrated a Mass of thanksgiving in Rome for the papal document that allowed wider use of the 1962 missal.

I used to talk with Mons. De Magistris often.  He is the one I sometimes call "the last Roman Catholic priest".

When I was ordained, the members of the Gregorian chant schola I directed wanted to give me a vestment.  Since they were of modest means, I didn’t want them to spend too much money.  But since they wanted the chasuble to be special, I chose a historic cut of vestment, rather than try to get very expensive fabric or embroidery.   I got a "taglio filipino", which is like the chasuble you see on images of St. Philip Neri… thus the Italian nickname.

Over at NLM we see some great images of paintings of St. Philip and St. Ignatius in this vestment.

This style was the first real organic development of vestments from the full cloak style to the smaller and square modern Roman vestments.  It is sort of half way in between.

Here are some of the shots from NLM.

 

This is an great development and in keeping with the Marshall Plan. 

Benedict’s education of the Church continues.

As I have been saying, liturgy is …

A friend sent the following, which I have seen before.  However, I am sure she thought I needed to see this today.

Subject: For all of us who appreciate a sense of humor…

It takes a university degree to fly a plane but only an
apprenticeship to fix one: a reassurance for those of us who fly
routinely in their jobs.

After every flight, Qantas pilots fill out a form, called a "gripe
sheet" which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft. The
mechanics correct the problems; document their repairs on the form, and
then pilots review the gripe sheets before the next flight.

Never let it be said that ground crews lack a sense of humor.

Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by Qantas’ Pilots
(marked with a P) and the Solutions Recorded (marked with an S) By
Maintenance Engineers.

By the way, Qantas is the only major airline that has never had an accident.

 —————————————————————————————————————

 P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
 S: Almost replaced left inside main tire.

 P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
 S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.

 P: Something loose in cockpit.
 S: Something tightened in cockpit.

 P: Dead bugs on windshield.
 S: Live bugs on back-order.

 P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.
 S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.

 P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
 S: Evidence removed.

 P: DME volume unbelievably loud.
 S: DME volume set to more believable level.

 P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
 S: That’s what they’re for.

 P: IFF inoperative.
 S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.

 P: Suspected crack in windshield.
 S: Suspect you’re right.

 P: Number 3 engine missing.
 S: Engine found on right wing after brief search.

 P: Aircraft handles funny. (I love this one!)
 S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.

 P: Target radar hums.
 S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.

 P: Mouse in cockpit.
 S: Cat installed.
 
And The Best One For Last !!

 P: Noise coming from under instrument panel . Sounds like a midget
      pounding on something with a hammer.
 S: Took hammer away from midget

Here is a nice piece of news from the News Leader.  I have written about the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau before.

My emphases and comments.

Two parishes to begin Latin form of Mass on Sunday

News-Leader staff

Two parishes within the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau will begin offering the Tridentine Mass, in Latin, beginning Sunday.

Monsignor Raymond Orf will preside at a 2 p.m. Tridentine Mass at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Springfield. The Mass will be offered the second Sunday of each month.

[But wait… there’s more!!]

Father Joseph Orthel will celebrate the Tridentine Mass at St. Peter Catholic Church in Stockton each Sunday at noon.

Later this spring, the Tridentine Mass will be celebrated once a month, during the week, at St. Ann Church in Carthage and Sacred Heart in Willow Springs.

The [Re]introduction of the Latin Mass came as a response to an apostolic letter, Summorum Pontificum, by Pope Benedict XVI that spoke of allowing two forms for celebrating the Catholic Mass — the ordinary form and the extraordinary form. [I rather like the phrasing here: it sounds as if the Novus Ordo is being "allowed" as well!]

The “ordinary form” of Mass, using the vernacular language [Oh well… the vernacular is "allowed" in the Novus Ordo, while Latin remains the official language.] of those attending, was enacted by Pope Paul VI following Vatican Council II. Such Masses have been offered in the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese in such languages as English, Spanish and Vietnamese.  [A manifestation of the division of peoples which we would love to see healed by having them all together, praying together, with a common liturgical language.]

The “extraordinary form” uses the Roman Missal, written in Latin, originally enacted by Pope St. Pius V in 1570.  [Ironically, the lame-ICEL translation still in use for the Novus Ordo sure seems not even to have written in Latin.]

Other differences between the two forms include:

• The “ordinary form” of the Mass has a three-year selection of scripture readings on Sundays and a two-year cycle for weekdays; the “extraordinary form” has a one-year cycle of scripture readings.

• Holy Communion is received only under the form of bread when the extraordinary form of Eucharist is celebrated; people may receive both the host and from the cup in the ordinary form of Mass.

• The priest in the ordinary form of Mass faces the people while the priest celebrating the Tridentine Mass has his back to the congregation.  [This is simply a common error.  In practice this is how it works out, but according to the books and tradition of the Church, Mass in the Novus Ordo also should be ad orientem.]

• Servers at the extraordinary form of Mass are boys; at the ordinary form of Mass girls may serve and laity may serve as lectors and Eucharistic ministers.  [I think according to the law they "may" serve also at the altar in the older form, but they life expectancy of the priest who would try to get away with that… well… better not to avail oneself of that option.]

 This is good news for the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau.

Didn’t they get a new bishop recently?

I’m just asking….

 

Today’s Collect in the 2002 Missale Romanum is an ancient prayer. 

It is found in the Gelasian Sacramentary for the Vigil of Pentecost.  It is also among the prayers for the 4th day of the 4th month, which more than likely involved the traditional fast of the fourth month (there were fasts in the 4th, 7th and 10th months).  It is in the Veronese Sacramentary under the title In ieiunio quarti mensis, which pretty much settles it.  This prayer was in the 1962 Missale Romanum but at the end of the section for the blessing of and imposition of ashes, before the Introit of the Mass itself. 

Keep this ancient character in mind when hearing the prayer, which I urge you to read aloud. 

We are living in squishy feel good days when many people in the Church blow happy gas in every direction so that they will not arouse any suspicion that they might be "mean". 

Exaggeration?  Maybe so.  But no one can deny that we could use a bit more clarity in our preaching and a return to some of the practices of yesteryear.  

Let’s see what the prayer really says.

COLLECT:
Concede nobis, Domine, praesidia militiae christianae
sanctis inchoare ieiuniis,
ut, contra spiritales nequitias pugnaturi,
continentiae muniamur auxiliis.

Praesidium has a powerfully military connotation.  It means fundamentally "defense, protection, help, aid, assistance" and thus it refers to "soldiers who are to serve as a guard".  Thus, by extension, it comes to mean "any place occupied by troops, as a hill, a camp, etc.; a post, station, entrenchment, fortification, camp".  Munio is equally military: "to build a wall around, to defend with a wall, to fortify, defend, protect, secure, put in a state of defense".  As you can imagine pugno, "to combat, give battle, engage, contend", is a military term.  Are you getting the picture?  Of course auxillium means "help, aid, assistance, support, succor", but when in the plural it is also "auxiliary troops, auxiliaries (mostly composed of allies and light-armed troops; hence opposed to the legions)".  Then there is militia, which is "military service, warfare, war" and also specifically in the genitive militiae "in military service, or on a campaign, in the field".

LITERAL TRANSLATION:
Grant us, O Lord, to commence the defenses of the Christian field campaign by means of holy fasts,
so that, we who are about to do battle against spiritual negligences,
may be fortified by the support of continence.

This is a mighty prayer.  

Several things come to mind. 

First, most of us when we were confirmed were reminded in some way that we are soldiers in this pilgrim Church.  We must be ready to suffer for the Faith.   

Next, militaristic imagery informs most of the history of Christian spirituality. We are soldiers we are on the march, pilgrim soldiers.  We are on campaign. 

When the Roman legions were on the march, they would build a fortified camp when they halted.  They took no chances.  We are on the march in a vale of tears where anything and everything can happen to us and around us. 

Thirdly, when we make mistakes, the results can be deadly.  The word nequitia means "bad quality, badness" but that is because it is "bad moral quality, of all degrees, idleness, negligence, worthlessness, vileness".  It usually refers to a lack of attention that duty and prudence require, resulting in negative consequences.  Moreover, the virtue of continence is described with the same word used to describe the auxiliary troops that supported the legion’s regulars! 

While it could simply refer to "abstinence", continence is the virtue which restrains the will from consenting to strong impulses of sexual desire.  So, this prayer could have a special focus.  

As we begin our lenten observance, like a soldier on the march, on a mission from you great Captain, be sure that you have your objectives clearly defined and get clearly in your head whatever strategies and tactics will win for you your prize.  What will you want to gain from this Lent? 

SUPER OBLATA:
Sacrificium quadragesimalis initii sollemniter immolamus,
te, Domine, deprecantes,
ut per paenitentiae caritatis labores
a noxiis voluptatibus temperemus,
et, a peccatis mundati,
ad celebrandam Filii tui passionem
mereamur esse devoti.

This prayer also has roots in the ancient Gelasian and the Gregorian Sacramentary.  Notice, however, how long, wordy it is.  Hardly in the style of the terse prayers of the Romans.

REALLY LITERAL VERSION:
Praying to You, O Lord,
we solemnly raise up the Sacrifice of the beginning of Lent,
so that through the exertions of the charity of penitence
we may abstain from harmful pleasures,
and, cleansed from sins,
we may be worthy to be dedicated
to celebrating the Passion of Your Son.

Some of the Fathers refer to the time of the Lenten fast as a sacramentum, preparing us for the mysterium of the dying and rising of the Lord. For example, St. Leo the Great in his magnificent Lenten sermons refers often to the season as sacramentum.

Here at the threshold of Lent, let us make our "Lenten start". In the sacrament of Penance, Christ will cleanse your slate and you may make a renewed beginning.

POST COMMUNION:
Percepta nobis, Domine,
praebeant sacramenta subsidium,
ut tibi grata sint nostra ieiunia,
et nobis proficiant ad medelam.

A VERSION:
May the sacramental mysteries which we have received, O Lord,
afford us help,
that our fasts may be pleasing to You,
and may be profitable for us unto a remedy.

I am delighted that in the 2002 Missale the tradition of the "Prayer over the people" was revived in Lent.  This is an important custom.

The origin of the Oratio super populum is quite complex and hard to pin down.  Turning to Fr. Joseph A. Jungmann’s monumental two volume The Mass of the Roman Rite: Its Origins and Development we find a history of this prayer at the beginning of the section concerning the close of the Mass (II, pp. 427ff).  Something Jungmann emphasizes that caught my attention is the fact that we are at a “frontier” moment, the threshold of the sacred precinct of the church and the world.  When properly formed we want the influence of our intimate contact with the divine to carry over into the outside world.  The use of this prayer is very ancient, found in both the Eastern liturgies of Syria and Egypt and in the West.  

Unlike the Postcommunio, the object of the prayer is not “us”.  Instead, the priest prayers for and over the people, not including himself as he does in the prayer after Communion. 

By the time of Pope Gregory the Great this was only in the Lenten season, probably because this is perceived to be a time of greater spiritual combat requiring more blessings.  Indeed it was extremely important for those who were not receiving Holy Communion, as was the case of those doing public penance before the Church, the ordo poenitentium.  

How important was this prayer to the Romans?  In 545, when Pope Vigilius (537-55) was conducting the station Mass at St. Cecilia in Trastevere, troops of the pro-Monophysite Byzantine Emperor Justinian arrived after Communion to take the Pope into custody and conduct him to Constantinople.  The people followed them to the ship and demanded “ut orationem ab eo acciperent… the they should receive the blessing prayer from him”.  The Pope recited it, the people said “Amen” and off went Vigilius who would return to Rome only after his death.

ORATIO SUPER POPULUM:
Super inclinantes se tuae maiestati, Deus,
spiritum compunctionis propitius effunde,
ut praemia paenitentibus repromissa
misericorditer consequi mereantur.

Who wants to take a crack at it? 

I have been thinking a little about the new prayer Pope Benedict XVI has swapped into the 1962 Missale Romanum for Good Friday when we, as a whole Church have always, do now, and will always pray also for the Jews.

I wrote about this issue at some length here.

A have some initial observations.

1. Most people really wont care one way or another about this prayer.
2. It is used once a year.
3. Missals were changed by Popes all along the way.
4. Our Church is not a fly in amber.
5. People should actually read the prayer and think about it before freaking out.

Let’s have a look at the prayer as it appears in the 1962 Missale Romanum and now in its revised form in the 1962 Missale.  My translations:
 

MR62 Latin	MR62 English	Revised ‘62 Latin	Revised ‘62 English
Oremus et pro Iudaeis: ut Deus et Dominus noster auferat velamen de cordibus eorum; ut et ipsi agnoscant Iesum Christum Dominum nostrum. ...	Let us also pray for the Jews: that our Lord and God take away the veil from their hearts; that they too may acknowledge Jesus Christ to be our Lord.	Oremus et pro Iudaeis: ut Deus et Dominus noster illuminet corda eorum, ut agnoscant Iesum Christum salvatorem omnium hominum.	Let us also pray for the Jews: that our God and Lord may illuminate their hearts, that they acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the Savior of all men.
Omnipotens sempiternae Deus, qui Iudaeos etiam a tua misericordia non repellis: exaudi preces nostras, quas pro illius populi obcaecatione deferimus; ut agnita veritatis tuae luce, quae Christus est, a suis tenebris eruantur.  Per eundem Dominum.	Almighty eternal God, who also does not repell the Jews from Your mercy: graciously hear the prayers which we are conveying on behalf of the blindness of that people; so that once the light of Your Truth has been recognized, which is Christ, they may be rescued from their darkness.	Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui vis ut omnes homines salvi fiant et ad agnitionem veritatis veniant, concede propitius, ut plenitudine gentium in Ecclesiam Tuam intrante omnis Israel salvus fiat. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.	Almighty and eternal God, who want that all men be saved and come to the recognition of the truth, propitiously grant that even as the fullness of the peoples enters Your Church, all Israel may be saved. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

In first prayer of the couplet, the older version prayed that the darkness, in the image of a veil, be taken from the hearts of the Jews, presumably to let in the light of Christ, light being a metaphor for the Truth, who also is Christ.   In first prayer of the newer version, we pray that God may illuminate, that is shed light, which is a metaphor for the Truth (who is Christ) in the hearts of the Jews. 

Okay… it is a little less poetic in the new version.  I like the poetry of the previous version and mourn its loss.  I found nothing, zero, offensive to Jews in that older version.  After, we Christians pray in terms our our own darkness.  Still… the first prayers of both the older version and the newer version say the same thing.

The second prayer of the couplet, in the older version begins with a statement that God does not reject the Jews from His mercy.  An obvious point.  However, the Latin could be read to say in English: "O God, who does not reject even the Jews from Your mercy". In English this could be made to sound rather like the Jews must be pretty bad indeed and that it would be reasonable for a less merciful God to not be merciful.  However, Latin, not English, is the language of Mass and this phrase need not have that negative connotation.  It is better to render it "also the Jews" and not just "even the Jews".  In the next part of the prayer we take it on ourselves to pray on behalf of their "darkness", that is, that they lack the Truth, the light of Christ.  That’s fine: we Christians pray for ourselves in those very same terms.  We refer to our own dark sins all the time, etc.  Then we pray that they will be rescued from darkness, which is a metaphor for error and the possibility of the loss of salvation.  No problems there.  I think we are pretty much praying for ourselves in those terms to.  However, the force of the statement comes as much through the beautiful turn of phrase, the poetry that has an impact on the ear. 

The second part of the newer version of the prayer, starts from the larger picture, rather than the smaller group.  The older prayer focuses entirely on the Jews.  The newer version starts from the fact that all men, whomever they may be, were made to be saved and happy with God in heaven.  They are saved through "recognition of the Truth".  Christ is that Truth. 

The interesting point here is what is being said in "grant that even as the fullness of the peoples enters Your Church, all Israel may be saved". 

This is a reference to Romans 11:25-26: 

For I would not have you ignorant, brethren, of this mystery (lest you should be wise in your own conceits) that blindness (caecitas) in part has happened in Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles (plentitudo gentium) should come in (intraret).  And so all Israel should be saved (omnis Israhel salvus fieret), as it is written: There shall come out of Sion, he that shall deliver and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

Earlier in Romans St. Paul says that the Church is the fulfillment of the Israel.  However, here Paul is saying that God is not therefore finished with the Jews. In chapter 11, Paul is exploring how the Gentiles must be very humble in regard to their salvation.  However, Paul says that Israel has, in fact, a blindness problem (caecitatas)... and that this blindness of Israel, that is the part of the Israel that did not covert and come into the Church… until the fullness of the Gentiles should come in.  So, Paul focuses on the responsibility of the Gentiles, but he is also saying that God is not finished with the unconverted Jews. 

So, in the second part of the second prayer in the new, revised couplet: there is a direct scriptural reference to the "blindness… caecitas" of the Jews.  This is very common with our Catholic prayers: often they only mention a fragment of a phrase of Scripture, and we must pick up the context.

If the Jews who hear this newer prayer think they have scored a victory over the Church because the Pope was persuaded to change the text, they are very much deluded.  The reference to the blindness of the Jews is still there: you just have to take the veil off your Christian Bible and look up the reference.   Frankly, I think that if the Jews who were really grousing at the Holy See look at this prayer, they are not going to like what the find.  They won’t be happy until the Pope stands at the center balcony of St. Peter’s and says that Jews are right and that Christ irrelevant to salvation. 

If any Catholic traditionalists are angry that the Pope changed the prayer, they too should pick up their Bibles and take a look around, thinking first, about what the prayer really says.

The new prayer has retained the substance of the old prayers.  As a matter of fact, Pope Benedict has provided a deeper point of reflection.  Let us not forget that the earlier versions, going back to the 1570 editio princeps, are not doctrinally wrong.  We are free to change our manner of expression.  What Pope Benedict has done is shift the style, yes, but also add a layer for our prayer life, rather than take one away.

 

 

Even as the lunar new year is arriving, and we must pray for the well-being of those poor folks in China suffering from the problems of weather and transportation problems as they strive to go home, there is another celestial event about to occur according to SpaceWeather.com:

Space Weather News for Feb. 5, 2008

SOLAR ECLIPSE: This Thursday, Feb. 7th, the Moon will pass in front of the Sun, producing a solar eclipse over New Zealand, most of Antarctica and parts of Australia.  It is not a total eclipse; the Moon will only partially cover the solar disk.  Nevertheless, the event promises some beautiful moments. 

For instance, the partially-eclipsed Sun will dapple the ground with crescent-shaped sunbeams.  Observers in New Zealand and Australia should look in the shadows of leafy trees for this lovely phenomenon.  On the barren slopes of Antarctica, scientists and explorers can produce the same effect by letting the sun shine through a spaghetti colander or a sheet of paper poked with holes.

...

The best views of all are reserved for a remote stretch of the Antarctic where the Moon will pass dead-center in front of the Sun without fully covering it.  A thin layer of star will poke out all around the Moon producing a  vivid "ring of fire" or annular eclipse.

In Rome, nothing can be assumed to be particularly easy.

Since I am back in Rome for a short period, I am not in my usual residence, but another temporary place, also run by the Holy See.  In times past use of the internet has always been difficult here because of proxy settings, blah blah etc. etc… (can you say "control freaks"?) ... but this time, the access has been made even more complicated.

I wasted a bunch of time last night trying in vain to get on line, only to be told later by the guy at the front desk: "Oh yah… I forgot to tell you about that…"  In short, everything had been changed.  I was to go over to the Vatican Internet Office to get access. 

"Of course!  Silly me!"

That office was closed.

By this point I was pretty irritated.  The desk guy sympathetically groused something about the whole world having internet access, "but here…!"  He rolled his eyes.  Apparently he is pretty sick of this too.  I can’t imagine how often he is asked to solve problems he can no longer solve. 

In the meantime, I was without access… no a good thing.

I couldn’t go to the press office, and use the internet there: that office was closed.  The press office closes at 3 pm every day.  After all, why should an internationally important entity like the Holy See have a press office that is actually open?  But I digress…

I wound up using a friend’s computer for a few minutes before and after supper. 

Thus ended stage one.

As rosy-fingered Roman dawn graced my room, and after I attained my first decent night’s rest since I flew over the Atlantic, I went over to the Vatican Internet Office to get my laptop connected.  Are picturing Oliver going to Mr. Bumble?

But long years in Rome teach you never to be too daunted and to persist, with a smile, and never let the first line of opposition think for very long!

Figuring that anyone who was competent would only be in the office when it first opened, I went over early enough in the morning to get real business done.  Success.  The usciere actually was rather like Mr. Bumble, as it turns out, but after various frowns he sent me to the office of two great young guys who instantly understood my quandry. 

They strolled with me over to my room, Marco and Lorenzo did, great guys both, and worked on the connection. 

It took them about 20 minutes and a phone call.

Not too complicated, huh? 

I invited them out for coffee afterward, which is the basic Roman gesture of gratitude.  Nice guys. We had a good chat.  I am grateful to them… but… damn!  Could the internet office control freaks make this any more complicated? 

Thus ended stage two.

I am reminded of a religious sister years ago who would pull all the matches but two out of a book of matches intended for the use of the altar boys for lighting candles before Mass.  Of course, two might not be enough and so everyone was constantly asking sisters for matches.  When the pastor asked her to leave matches for us, she groused "But someone might use them!".

Why was the system here made even more convoluted than it was last December?  They told me that people outside the house were using the wireless internet feed.

"But Father, but Father!" you are saying.  "That isn’t so hard to prevent.  You just…."   Yes, yes… know.  But…. this is Rome.  Moreover, this is the Vatican.  If something is simple, it must be made impossibly un-simplified, so involved and ineffective for sooooo long that the people with the problems simply give up. And then… you see… problem solved! 

Cunctando regitur mundus!

Anyway… what was the story behind the problem? 

They use here a series of wireless routers in all the hallways, since I am sure the idea of wiring the whole house with ethernet is a little daunting: these old buildings are barely up to code as it is.  When you start rewiring, chaos reigns… ehem… more chaos reigns 

So, when I checked in, I asked for a room where I know the signal is very strong: a router is across the hall from my door. 

Little did I imagine that my travails were just beginning.

I fully understand the Holy See wants to protect the connection from dasterdly people "out there"... and of course all the people "in here", for that matter.  It would really be better to have internet, but not let anyone use it.  Or even better, not have it.  Or maybe, have, but never turn it on.   But, again I digress…

Someone in the internet office must know about wardriving, etc. and therefore has imposed the most byzantine series of portculises on the feed as can be dreamed of.  Were someone to do nefarious things with the connection, that could be a little embarasing.  A few years ago I found a hole in the server security of the house I was living in and found that someone was doing dasterdly things.  This meant that the header of the e-mails being sent out from the server looked like they were coming from the Vatican, which was probably not so good. 

Boy did they spring to life when I told them about that little problem, thus proving that when they really want to, Italians undoubtedly can do anything, really well, at top speed.
 
By now you must be observing along with me that every ma and pa corner coffee shop can solve this problem about who has access to the access point with relative ease.  

But the Holy See?

So, as of now I do have some access.  It only took an evening, a morning, two technicians, a phone consultation, a couple espressos at a nearby bar, but it is done. 

Well, not quite done.  Now if they would actually let access the sites I need to use!

I already got the name and phone number of the guy who handles that stuff.

That will be stage three.