ROME 25/5– Day 36: Caponata

On this Feast of St. John Nepomuceno the sun came into view at 5:47.   We will lose sight of it again at 20:27.

Our ears will not hear the un-run Ave Maria Bell at 20:45 in the Roman Curia, but it does ring at the proper solar time at The Parish™, Ss. Trinità.

We had a proper for St. John Nepomuceno today in the special texts for the Diocese of Rome.

Anyone want to take a shot at this and provide an accurate and yet smooth version in English?   This is a powerful prayer with a fine reminder and a mighty petition.

Welcome registrants:

Nolmendil
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At Amazon, 35% off on some things starts today for Memorial Day. Hence, my reminder…

Please remember me when shopping online and use my affiliate links.  US HERE – UK HERE  WHY?  This helps to pay for health insurance, utilities, groceries, etc..  At no extra cost to you, you provide help for which I am grateful.

This is pretty cool.

I was out to supper last night with two readers from the States.  Sicilian.

Wonderful caponata.

Pasta alla Norma.

In the market this morning after getting a haircut. Stacked fennel.

Hint: Get some fennel, peel off the leaves and try it raw as an appetizer, dipping it in good (preferably homemade) mayonnaise.  The outter leaves have to go, of course, but the inner are great down to the core.   Fennel is wonderful baked, like au gratin.

In chessy news, in Bucharest my guy Wesley dropped a game to young Pragg (aka Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, therefore “Pragg”).  I was watching the video, skipping forward to the parts where the commentators were focused on their game.  (The whole thing was well over 5 hours, otherwise).  I must admit that I was puzzled about what my guy was thinking toward the end.  It might have been time pressure, but I had thought that it was his game to win, but not after 29. g3. Pragg had black and played the Benko Gambit, which seems not to be much in vogue. Anyway, today Pragg is in 1st place.

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Concerning the Pope’s… Popes’… pectoral Cross

This is a new Cross…

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ROME 25/5– Day 35: The papal “We”?!?

The Eternal City became noticeably brighter with the rising of the sun at 5:48. The light will diminish significantly at 20:26.

The Ave Maria Bell is in the 20:45 cycle right now.

It is Feast of St. Jean Baptiste de la Salle in the older calendar and of St. Isidore the Farmer in the newer.

Welcome registrants:

DeaconRP
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Please remember me when shopping online and use my affiliate links.  US HERE – UK HERE  WHY?  This helps to pay for health insurance (massively hiked for this new year of surprises), utilities, groceries, etc..  At no extra cost, you provide help for which I am grateful.

Here’s something to give hope to those who love the Church’s Traditional Roman Rite:

Pope Leo XIV to Eastern Churches in his Wednesday Audience:

“How much we need to recover the sense of mystery, so alive in your liturgies, which involve the human person in his totality, sing the beauty of salvation and inspire wonder at the divine greatness that embraces human smallness! And how important it is to rediscover, even in the Christian West, the sense of the primacy of God, the value of mystagogy, of incessant intercession, of penance, of fasting, of weeping for one’s own sins and those of all humanity (penthos), so typical of Eastern spiritualities!”

“…mystagogy, of incessant intercession, of penance, of fasting, of weeping for one’s own sins and those of all humanity…”

Come to think of it, those are also present in the TRADITIONAL ROMAN RITE.  Not so much in the Novus Ordo, however.  I wonder how we could recover those highly desired things?   Hmmm…

The West, the Latin Church, does not need to adopt Eastern Rites to recover a sense of mystery.  We have all of that in our traditional Roman Rite.  That’s what the ROMAN Church needs to recover.   In our own ways, the Rites of our Churches convey these necessary elements.

Meanwhile, Card. Müller told AP:

“We cannot absolutely condemn or forbid the legitimate right and form of the Latin liturgy,” Mueller said. “According to his character, I think (Leo) is able to speak with people and to find a very good solution that is good for everybody.”

And also, it seems that Leo XIV, while he closed out his previous Twitter account, is using the @Pontifex account.  He tweeted a message in Latin HERE:

Pax vobiscum omnibus! Haec prima salutatio est Christi, Boni Pastoris, post Resurrectionem. Ipse salutatio haec velim cor vestrum ingrediatur et familias vestra omnesque homines, ubicumque sint, cunctosque populos et universum terrarum orbem attingat.

Peace to you all!  This is the first greeting of Christ, the Good Shepherd, after the Resurrection.  I myself wish that this greeting enter your hearts and your families and all men wherever they may be, and reach all peoples and the whole world.

I’m happy for the Latin, though I have a question about it.  “vestras“, right?

I am somewhat gobsmacked by the appearance on the Vatican website of a LATIN version of Leo XIV’s address to Cardinals in the Sistine Chapel.  HERE

After the dearth of Latin in the last years, the guys in the Latin Letters office must be a little perked up!  What really grabbed my attention what Leo’s use of “We”.  For example…

Peculiarem in modum Deus insuper, per vestra suffragia ad Primo Apostolorum succedendum cum Nos vocet, hunc thesaurum Nobis committit, ut, eo iuvante, fideles [sic] simus administrator…

Moreover, in a special way God, through your votes, when He calls Us to succeed to the First of the Apostles, commits this treasure to Us, so that, with His help, We may be a faithful steward….

I think that should be “fidelis“, since – although he is using “We” – he remains one person.

The “We” is not in the Italian version.  They haven’t, at the time of this writing, posted English.

In chessy news…

In Bucharest, my guy Wesley is in a tie in the middle of the pack.   He drew yesterday against world champ Gukesh.  Only Nodirbek had a decisive game.

Black to move and mate in 4.  HERE

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ROME 25/5– Day 34: Heat death of the universe

On this Feast of St Michele Garicoïts, the Sun rose at 05:49 and it will set at 20:25.

Pushed by the ever later sunset, the Ave Maria Bell, which you know know all about (more than you wanted to know) should ring for the Curia at 20:45.

I was sent a link to news that the heat death and total stillness of the known cosmos is now projected to happen in 1078 years rather than in 101100 years.   HERE   Entropy.

That would indeed someday be the fate of the cosmos if it were not for …

The Resurrection of the Lord put death to death.  Someday He will return, the cosmos will be unmade in fire, Christ will take to Himself all things and submit them to the Father and God will be all in all.

In the meantime, start making adjustments for that rapid speed up.

Speaking of resurrections, Major League Baseball has reinstated some players previous banned totally from organized ball including Pete Rose and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson.  HERE  Rose was banned for betting on games and Jackson for being part of the 1919 Chicago “Black Sox”.

Please remember me when shopping online and use my affiliate links.  US HERE – UK HERE  WHY?  This helps to pay for health insurance (massively hiked for this new year of surprises), utilities, groceries, etc..  At no extra cost, you provide help for which I am grateful.

BTW… I don’t believe I mentioned that I read the newest book by Michael D. O’Brien.

Letter to the Future: A Novel

It’s quite good and I recommend it. Long after the fall of modern Western civilization, the result of increasing totalitarianism and a supernatural illumination event, some children find a hiding place with things from before including a written manuscript recounting what happened. It is also not as long as some of O’Brien’s earlier efforts. Perhaps he has an editor now.

Black to move and mate in 4.

NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.

Priestly chess players, drop me a line. HERE

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ROME 25/5– Day 33: languid

Sunrise in Rome was at 5:50 and sunset will be at 20:24.

The Ave Maria is in the 20:45 cycle.

It is the traditional Feast of St. Robert Bellarmine and the Feast of the Dedication of Santa Maria “ad Martyres” (the Pantheon) in 609.

‘Tis also the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima.

Welcome registrants:

blackscholescat
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In Afghanistan, the Taliban has outlawed chess because they consider it to be gambling.   This was a problem in the Church for a while, too.  For some time, chess also used dice!  Games of chance were forbidden for clerics and religious, but many simply played anyway, including St. Teresa of Avila, who cites chess imagery in Interior Castle and who is the Patron Saint of Chess Players.  A couple of the more famous openings for white are named after priests, the Ruy Lopez (aka The Spanish) and the Ponziani (after a priest who became Vicar General of Modena and with two others a member of the so-called Modena School of Chess, in vigore after Philador).

Lunch today, nothing special.  I made a sauce with garlic, hot pepper, and fresh basil.  I like “fat” spaghetti.  Easier to get here.

Supper… after a couple of days of eating out, salad.  The dressing: macerate cherry tomatoes with salt, white wine vinegar, finely chopped garlic.  Crunchy and soft, salty and sweet.  Red wine: cesanese.  I have some gorgonzola and a pear.

Priest have asked if on Sunday they can add a collect for the new Pope under one conclusion.  Yes. You can.  And you should!

The entrance to my very humble (not Casa Marta humble) abode.  I’m the second door on the left.

Tired again.

It’s like… this huge weight is gone and now I just want to rest, sleep, be normal without the worries of the Stasi fueled by lunatic catholic “New Red Guards” who for years have been on my case trying to ruin my life.   Today was rainy so I basically just slept a lot.

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ROME 13 May 609 – Exorcism, screaming demons, terrified people fainting – Dedication of the Pantheon as a church

Dear readers, this is the sort of thing that Popes do!  They fight against the forces of Hell and they work for the salvation of souls.

When the ancient obelisk that was in the Circus of Caligula off to the side of St. Peter’s Basilica was moved to the center of the piazza in 1586, Pope Sixtus V caused to be inscribed on its base words from the Rite of Exorcism.  And he exorcized the thing to stand against the approach to the basilica of demons and the possessed.  Priests were asked to repeat the words from the exorcism as they approached.   Pope Sixtus took a pagan thing, exorcized it, and made it a bulwark against the demonic.

That was then.

In 2019 a demon idol  was brought into the Basilica and placed on the ALTAR over the bones of the first Vicar of Christ.

Here’s another things Popes do.

In 609 Pope Boniface IV took a pagan thing… the pagan thing… the Roman building dedicated to “all the gods… pan-theon” (aka demons) exorcised it and made it into a church!

This is the pattern, by the way.  One might say, “This is the way.”

Before things are consecrated, they are exorcized.

There is a constant supernatural battle going on around us, between the holy angels and apostate demons.  We have many helps in this battle, including sacramentals and, especially, the sacraments.

One sacramental is the Rite of Exorcism.  There are “major” exorcisms and “minor”.  Exorcisms can be done over people, things and places.

Church buildings ought to be exorcized inside and out before they are consecrated.  In the traditional rite of the consecration of a church, first, the building is exorcized at three ascending levels, each with a procession around the building (in the same pattern/direction, btw, as the priest swings incense in circles over the gifts on the altar at the offertory).  The process is repeated inside the church.  Only then are the faithful allowed to enter.

THAT’s “pastoral”!

(For you libs, so you can understand, pástoral is a more serious version of your “pastóral” or, in extreme cases, “pastóreeal”).

In 609 the Emperor Phocas gave the magnificent ancient Roman Pantheon, the temple to “all the gods” to the Church.

Pope Boniface IV got rid of all the pagan stuff and consecrated it to the Mother of God and the martyrs on this day, 13 May.

Of course before anything is to be consecrated, it first had to be exorcized. This is especially the case with a pagan temple that had been dedicated to demons.

We have an account of the exorcism of the Pantheon before it was consecrated this day.  In Italian HERE.

“In 608 the Byzantine emperor Phoca gave [the temple] to Pope Boniface IV and there was organized an evocative ceremony to consecrate it to the Christian God.   On 13 May 609 a huge crowd gathered near the Pantheon to witness the event. Chronicles recount chaos and chilling screams that were felt from within: the pagan demons were aware of what was about to happen. The doors were thrown open and the Pope, in front of the entrance, began to recite the formulas for the exorcism. The screams from the idols increased in intensity, and the commotion deafened the ears of the onlookers.  Fear gripped the crowd and no one was able to stand on their feet, looking and hearing that terrible spectacle. Only Boniface IV resisted and, undaunted, prayed and consecrated the Pantheon to Christ. It is said that the demons left the ancient temple chaotically and with a great din, fleeing from the open “eye” of the dome or from the main doors.  Once the ceremony was over, the Pope dedicated the building to the Madonna dei Martiri, in memory, perhaps, of the many Christians killed in honor of those filthy idols … “

There was also a vision of Catherine Ann Emerich:

One of the visions of Bl. Catherine Emmerich was precisely about the exorcism and consecration of the Pantheon: “…  I saw again the whole ceremony of the consecration of the temple: the holy martyrs assisted with Mary at their head.  The altar was not placed in the middle, but was was up against the wall.  I saw carried into church more than 30 carts of holy bones.  Many of these were put into the walls.  Others could be seen, where there were round holes in the wall, closed up with something that looked like glass. (p. Schmoeger, ‘Vie d’Anne Catherine Emmerich’, tomo III, pp. da 69 a 71)

Battles with the Enemy are fought on many levels.  Let us not forget that demons are territorial and legalistic.

Once they claim a toehold, it requires effort to break their hold and get rid of them from places, things and persons.

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ROME 25/5– Day 32: The Ave Maria Bell Explained and “If you are a woke Catholic, you aren’t Catholic anymore.”

When the sun rose on this lovely Roman morning it was 5:51. The lovely Roman evening commences with the setting of the sun at 20:23.

The Ave Maria Bell should ring at 20:45.

It is the Feast of Sts. Nereus, Achilleus and Pancratius (304).

As it does inevitably happen the question came in: “What is the Ave Maria Bell you keep mentioning?”    I wrote about that in greater detail HERE.

Here’s a compressed version.

The Ave Maria Bells signals the end of the “religious” day and the beginning of “religious” night.

It is rung in the ball park of 30 minutes after sunset.  Usually the Ave Maria is rung in a way not dissimilar to how the Angelus (Regina Caeli now) is rung…  3x… 4x…5x… 1x.

If the Ave Maria rings at, say, 19:00h (7PM), then 18:00h (6PM) would start the 23rd hour of the day and 19:00 would start the 1st hour of the new day’s “evening and morning”.   In Roman churches, Vespers were usually sung about an hour before the Ave Maria Bell.  Hence, in the example above, at about 18:00 at the 23rd hour.

What was the Ave Maria Bell doing for the Roman Curia?

In the Roman Curia, Cardinals who were Prefects (the offices of the Congregations had/have throne rooms, btw) and other “pezzi grossi” around the place would receive visits for an hour after the Ave Maria. An hour after the Ave Maria was rung to signal the change of religious days, another bell was struck to denote the 1st hour of the new day.

The Ave Maria could also follow the sun, and ring precisely one half hour after sunset.   So, following the sun strictly, the solar Ave Maria this evening would ring at 18:53.

To simplify this for the Curia – ’cause who had watches, right? – they adopted 15 minute cycles.  We are in the 18:45 cycle now.  Actually we are in the 17:45 cycle, which lasts from 11-24 May.  BUT… there’s the “ora legale” here, the European “daylight savings” in force which moved the hour hand forward.   On Sunday 26 October “ora legale” is over and we will turn our clocks back to normal.

This also ties into the old Six Hour Clocks, you can still see around Rome.  The Six Hour Clock, which divided the day in 4 parts and made a complete revolution every 6 hours, influenced the recitation of the Angelus at 06:00 – 12:00 – 18:00.   These Six Hour Clocks were adjusted daily according to solar noon.   Solar noon was tracked carefully, because that is when contacts and appointments went into effect.  In the Church today, appointments still generally are designated as starting at noon.  There is a solar calendar made by a shaft of light through a tiny hole at the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli by the Piazza della Repubblica.   The light spot on the floor traces the sun’s analemma over the course of the year across a 45 meter long meridian line.  It also could track certain stars, such as Sirius, the Dog Star.  Clement XI (+1721) commissioned it to check the accuracy of the Gregorian Calendar (1582).  

That sun clock was used to determine solar noon for all of Rome.  A signal would be sent from that church by means of a flag, watched for across town from the Gianicolo Hill where a cannon fired to sound noon.  It still does, everyday!

BTW… John L. Heilbron has a book on churches and cathedrals as solar observatories.  It is called The Sun In The Church.   Very cool.

There’s this.

Today I left my glasses on my vestments in the sacristy.  The World’s Best Sacristan™ put them in church on a side ledge of the main altar so I could retrieve them “after hours”.

Tonight I was out with The Great Roman™ and the The Wife of the Great Roman™ (a distinguished and internationally known bio-ethicist) and the emeritus head of An Important Institute™ (whom you would instantly recognize).

… honestly, I feel like I’ve come alive again.

Before “certain changes” all I wanted to do was sleep or lock the door, the spiritual FUG was that bad.  Now, I’m getting out more and meeting up with people more… it’s like normal life is returning.  It’s a sign of how deeply some of us have been wounded now for years.

Anyway, I was out…  mussels, clams, tomato, hot pepper, yum.

On the way home.

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ASK FATHER: Did Leo XIV use an older, traditional form of the “Urbi et Orbi” Blessing?

From a priest…

QUAERITUR:

I have not had time, and will probably not any time soon to go back to footage of previous last handful of Roman Pontiff to confirm, but I heard that apparently Pope Leo XIV when he gave us first Papal blessing in Latin on this past Thursday from the balcony, the formula of blessing that he used was used for first time since Pope Pius XII. Is this correct? If so then it is a great sign and if Pope Benedict was only other one and (and even Pope St. John Paul II) then still a great sign. Thanks for your service to Church and know that you are in my prayers and please pray for me as well.

I, too, have not looked into this. However, I heard a couple of priests talking about whether or not the blessing included the misereatur etc.

I have no reason to believe that Popes used different formulas. And it looks like the same book in all the photos and videos.

Here is the text used by Pope Leo. CORRECTED

Sancti Apostoli Petrus et Paulus: de quorum potestate et auctoritate confidimus, ipsi intercedant pro nobis ad Dominum.
℟: Amen.
Precibus et meritis beatae Mariae semper Virginis, beati Michaelis Archangeli, beati Ioannis Baptistae et sanctorum Apostolorum Petri et Pauli et omnium Sanctorum, misereatur vestri omnipotens Deus; et dimissis omnibus peccatis vestris, perducat vos Iesus Christus ad vitam æternam. ℟: Amen.
Indulgentiam, absolutionem, et remissionem omnium peccatorum vestrorum, spatium veræ et fructuosæ pœnitentiæ, cor semper pænitens, et emendationem vitæ, gratiam et consolationem Sancti Spiritus; et finalem perseverantiam in bonis operibus tribuat vobis omnipotens et misericors Dominus.
℟: Amen.
Et benedictio Dei omnipotentis, Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti, descendat super vos et maneat semper.
℟: Amen.

English translation

May the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, in whose power and authority we trust, intercede for us before the Lord.
℟: Amen.
Through the prayers and merits of Blessed Mary ever Virgin, Saint Michael the Archangel, Saint John the Baptist, the holy apostles Peter and Paul, and all the saints, may Almighty God have mercy on you and forgive all your sins, and may Jesus Christ bring you to everlasting life.
℟: Amen.
May the almighty and merciful Lord grant you indulgence, absolution and the remission of all your sins, a season of true and fruitful penance, a well-disposed heart, amendment of life, the grace and comfort of the Holy Spirit and final perseverance in good works.
℟: Amen.
And may the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, come down on you and remain with you forever.
℟: Amen.

Benedict XVI giving the “Urbi et Orbi”

And here is an audio recording of John Paul I.

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ASK FATHER: If Father must say Mass AFTER the new Pope’s election is announced but BEFORE we know his name…?

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

Our pastor had a rare situation with the election of the Pope. The white smoke went up, indicating that we had a new Pope, but before who the new Pope was announced, he had to go say Mass, thus not having a name for the Eucharistic prayer.

He handled it, but just curious if there is anything official that covers this unique situation.

Just when you think you’ve heard it all.

This is only possible in today’s world of instantaneous, real time information.  Right?

Back in the day, before everything was live on the little screen in your hand, this wouldn’t have been a problem.  Father would have simply said Mass as if it were still sede vacante … ’cause it was as far as he was concerned… and changed his way of saying the Canon when he finally got the news.

Hence, there isn’t anything “official” – that I know of – for this scenario.

Back in, say, the 16th century, some old guy in a village somewhere might be blithely saying Sixtus V in the Canon.  After a while he gets the news that Gregory XIV is Pope.  He changes from Sixtus to Gregory, not even knowing that between Sixtus and Gregory was Urban VII… for 12 days.

I can think of a couple solutions to this problem.

First, there is the idea of delaying Mass a little and wait for the news, though you never know how long it’ll take to get that announcement going.   And people have to get home and make supper for their children, etc.

Second, I would just say:

…  una cum fámulo tuo Papa nostro et Antístite nostro Uhtredo et ómnibus orthodóxis, atque cathólicæ et apostólicæ fídei cultóribus. …

… together with Thy servant our Pope, and our Bishop Uhtred, and all orthodox believers and professors of the Catholic and Apostolic Faith.

In that way you pray for the Pope, whose name you don’t know.

This might be a solution in the case of a genuine antipope!

Say that, in some scenario, there is doubt about a Pope’s resignation or there is a split in the College of Cardinals after the death or resignation of a Pope and the two differing groups of Cardinals stage their own conclaves, each producing a “Pope”.   All things being equal, one might be hard pressed to know what name to say in the Canon.  Therefore, just saying “for Your servant our Pope” without a specific name could work.

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ROME 25/5– Day 30-31:

Today, the 11th of the month saw the sunrise on the 3rd day of a new pontificate at 5:52.

It duly set at 20:22.

The Ave Maria Bell should ring at 20:45.   A new cycle as of today.

Welcome registrants:

christopherdwoodside@gmail.com
DocNino
LauraB3
Prof.Fred.Nazar
ScootiusMurus
TAL212716

Yesterday, 10 May, was the Feast of St. Job of the Old Testament and of St. John of God, Doctor of the Church.  Today, is the 3rd Sunday after Easter.  The Feast of Sant’Antimo.

Near my place.  Lovely scent of jasmine and cooking fills the street.

At The Parish™ we don’t waste candle stubs.

They go to the side altars.   Here’s what one of them was like when I finished today.

Beautiful light toward the end of an exquisite day.

Tired.

 

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Your Sunday Sermon Notes – 3rd Sunday after Easter 2025 (N.O. 4th Sunday of Easter)

Too many people today are without good, strong preaching, to the detriment of all. Share the good stuff.

It is the 4th Sunday of Easter in the Novus Ordo and the 3rd Sunday after Easter in the Vetus Ordo.   In the Novus Ordo this Sunday is “Good Shepherd Sunday”.  In the Vetus Ordo, Good Shepherd Sunday was last week.

Was there a GOOD point made in the sermon you heard at your Sunday Mass of obligation?

Tell about attendance especially for the Traditional Latin Mass.

Any local changes or (hopefully good) news?

I have a few thoughts about the orations in the Vetus Ordo for this Sunday: HERE

A taste:

[…]

“While” is complicated.  It can be a noun, as in an interval of time or, archaically, a particular occasion.  It is also used as a conjunction, “during the time that”, “as long as” and also “even though”.  “While” is also a preposition, “until”.  Moreover, “while” is a verb, “to pass time, especially in a pleasant way”.  As the Scarecrow sang, “I could while away the hours, conferrin’ with the flowers… if I only had brain.”  It might be interesting to apply some of this polyvalence to “Modicum, et iam non videbitis me: et iterum modicum, et videbitis me” (v. 16)  “A short while, and thenceforth you will not see me: and a while again, and you will see me”.

Shall we while while we are here for a while?  We are strangers and sojourners in this vale of tears.

[…]

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Leo XIV – relax

I think we can relax a little.  I think the Church’s “East Germany” is going to diminish.

My people, some know the new Pope, affirm that he prays and that he believes.

This counts for a lot.

I don’t want to give up personal information, but what I know and what I have understood in the last couple days, leads me to think that the Church is no longer going to be “East Germany”.

I post this knowing that when Bergoglio was elected (whom I know before) I truly tried hard to read him in continuity with his predecessors.  That didn’t happen.  I tried.  What Catholic would not try to give a new Pope some breathing room?

Pray for Leo XIV.

His schedule has been posted.  He will do all the big things of his pontificate rapidly, before I leave Rome.  Whew.

Can you imagine what the work load must be in these first days?

Pray for Leo XIV.

I want to write a Latin prayer for the beginning of this pontificate, but concepts are swirling.

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Some Notes about Leo XIV.. maybe more to follow

Let’s start with the important stuff, like the coat-of-arms and motto. ‘Cause I like that stuff.

Here is the coat-of-arms of Pope Leo XIV.   His motto is “In Illo Uno Unum”, which from the elegance you know is from St. Augustine.  Indeed it is, from en. ps. 127.  I’ll write separated about that.

The arms bear a Marian lily of purity and the symbol of the Augustinians, the arrow-pierced burning heart on the book, for Augustine is a Doctor of the Church.  It is simple.  That is good.

That Augustinian symbol is so familiar to me, since I studied in Rome at the Patristic Institute “Augustinianum” (while Prevost was there… and his classmate was president).

His name.  He told the cardinals that he wanted to affirm the path that the Church took with the Second Vatican Council, underscoring certain elements that both Benedict and Francis emphasized.  Hence he took the name Leo, calling to Leo XIII, and the social teaching of the Church.  Perhaps it is only coincidence that Leo XIII’s family had intimate dealings with Augustinians.

In that talk to Cardinals he mentioned AI.   This is a big deal.

His pectoral cross, at least what he has now, has relics of Augustinian saints, including Augustine and Monica.  I also have their relics in my chapel.  That will help me with a sense of solidarity, I hope.

The Pope will live in the Apostolic Palace.

Just watch.  Pretty Casa Santa Marta will return to being a “5 star hotel”.

Please, God, let the performative humility be at an end?

His theological background.

He has the coveted M.Div from the worst possible school in the worst possible years, Chicago Theological Union.

That doesn’t mean he is a heretic, like the instructors.  However it doesn’t point to a profound foundation.  It could be that he has done more on his own.  However, his jobs have kept him busy.

My sources say that he believes  and that he prays.

That’s a good start.

 

 

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ASK FATHER: Celebrating Our Lady of Fatima’s Mass (TLM) on 13 May

From a priest….

QUAERITUR:

I need an advice. I would like to say the Holy Mass on Tuesday in Vetus Ordo and I would like to use the texts from the Our Lady of Fatima feast (optional commemoration in Novus Ordo).

Can I do it?
Are there any special propria for this feast in Vetus Ordo somewhere?
Or should I use a votive Mass from Our Lady?
What about the feast of Robert Bellarmine? Can I just commemorate him in the Mass?

Sort of. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Yes, you can do it, but the second question applies.

As we all remember 13 May is the anniversary of Our Lady’s appearance Fatima, Portugal.  Hence 13 May was designated for the event.  However it is also in the traditional calendar (not the Novus Ordo) the Feast of the great Doctor of the Church St. Robert Bellarmine. So, St. Robert usually gets all the liturgical love on 13 May with the TLM.

In 2017 the Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei” granted to all priests of the Latin Rite (secular or religious) the possibility of celebrating on the 100th anniversary of the first apparition (13 May 2017) the Mass of Our Lady of Fatima as a Votive Mass of the II Class, using the exact same texts and prayers of the Votive Mass of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The letter didn’t say anything about future instances of 13 May.  One might extrapolate from that that the grant applied to that single day, the 100th anniversary.  Or not….  After all… this is a Votive Mass in honor of the Mother of God in one of her most important apparitions we are talking about.  And honoring her doesn’t mean that we are slighting St. Robert Bellarmine.

Masses in honor of Our Lady of Fatima have long been celebrated in the Diocese of Leiria–Fátima where Fatima is located. The traditional propers for Our Lady of Fatima are those of the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary on 22 August except for the following Collect, Secret, and Postcommunion orations:

COLLECT:

Peccatórum nostrórum, Dómine, multitúdine praevalénte, ad Beátae Mariae Virginis recúrrimus singuláre suffragium: ut, qui eiúsdem Cordis pietáte fovémur, tua misericórdia praeveniente, indulgéntiam delictórum consequámur. Per Dóminum nostrum Iesum Christum, Fílium tuum, …

SECRET:

Convérte, Dómine, quáesumus, nostras rebélles voluntátes et tríbue: ut, auxiliánte beatíssima Vírgine María, divina mysteria castis iucunditátibus celebrémus. Per Dóminum nostrum Iesum Christum …

POSTCOMMUNION:

Pórrige, quáesumus, Dómine, déxteram tuam pópulo deprecanti, et cui tríbuis supplicándi benígnus afféctum, intercedénte Vírgine María, praebe plácatus auxílium, ut cuncta mala declínet et ómnia bona apprehéndat. Per Dóminum nostrum Iesum Christum,…

If I used this form for Our Lady, I would commemorate St. Robert Bellarmine.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Our Solitary Boast | Tagged
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ASK FATHER: Father just said “I absolve you in the name of….”

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

I’ve been in a conundrum after confession today. The priest, a very holy yet elderly one was the confessor. At the words of absolution he said “and I absolve you in the name of etc…” and not the full ” I absolve you of your sins in the name of etc …” Is my confession valid? I believe it really is due to his age, I’ve been going to daily mass and he sometimes celebrates and at one Mass he accidentally said the old form of consecration of the wine (it will be shed for you and for all, instead of, which will be poured out for you and for many) he normally doesn’t do that. Anyways, thanks for your help and God bless you.

God bless that priest for his long and many years of service to God’s people.  Think of the good he has done.   Now in his twilight he is drifting a little.  I get it.   But this is why we have books to follow.  No matter our age, we need to use our books because we can and do drift once in a while.

I am in my place in Rome and not back home… or is this home?  Anyway, I don’t have my library at hand.  However, I’ve written on similar questions.

The formula of absolution is, in its short form, “Ego te absolvo a peccatis tuis, in nomine Patris +, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti… I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father +, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

St. Thomas Aquinas argues (though his opinions are not the equivalent of the Church’s Magisterium – never forget that!) that “Ego te absolvo”  is the form of the sacrament (ST III, Q. 84, Art. 3).  If he is right, then that may suffice.  He’s probably 99.9% right.

The Catechism of the Council of Trent, reliable and definitely an expression of the Church’s Magisteriumand surely working from Aquinas has this:

Pastors should not neglect to explain the form of the Sacrament of Penance. A knowledge of it will excite the faithful to receive the grace of this Sacrament with the greatest possible devotion. Now the form is: I absolve thee, as may be inferred not only from the words, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth shall be bound also in heaven, but also from the teaching of Christ our Lord, handed down to us by the Apostles.

 

These days it seems that the minimum form in the Latin Church (the Eastern Churches have their own somewhat different practices) is “Ego te absolvo a peccatis tuis… I absolve you from your sins.”

Because I am an Unreconstructed Ossified Manualist, I consulted several manuals (e.g., Tanquerey, Prümmer, Sabetti Barrett).  They all come to the same basic conclusion.  “Absolvo te a peccatis tuis” is certainly valid, and “Absolvo te” is probably valid, but if possible the longer form should be repeated to be sure.

The point is that “I absolve”, the word itself, implies that a) a person is being freed and that b) he is being freed from something.  In this context the person is a penitent confessing sins.  So, the penitent is being absolved of sins.  That’s implicit in absolvo te.

Part of the problem with not using the proper form – aside from the arrogance of priests who screw around with the form of absolution purposely – is the regular use of the bare minimum.  That suggests that perhaps the rest is not so important.  Just because it isn’t the bare and essential part of the form, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t important.

If you confess to a priest who regularly does something dodgy with the form of absolution, I would politely bring it up.

In your case, this was probably just a slip.  I wouldn’t bring it up unless he does it more often.

People are within their rights to have the form of absolution spoken as it is in the book. Ask the priest to give you absolution with the proper form. Do not be nasty or aggressive about this.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, GO TO CONFESSION | Tagged ,
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ASK FATHER: Priest cut me off while confessing my sins

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

Long-time listener, first-time caller, as it were. I’ve followed your blog for years, and it has been a great source of knowledge and spiritual wisdom for me.

I went to confession today in a cathedral. As always, I kept it brief and succinct but this time, the priest cut me off after 30 seconds, as he was clearly on a schedule. As a result, I missed several sins out and was unable to confess them before absolution. My question is, if this is the case, does the absolution carry for all the sins I had to miss (mortal and/or venial) or should I find another priest and confess the sins I missed?

From the onset, thanks for that intro, which made me think of the late, great Rush Limbaugh and his “open line Fridays”.

You stated that “he was clearly on a schedule”.  I’ll make a guess that he had to say the upcoming Mass and time was getting short.

Sensible priests want to hear the confessions of as many penitents as reasonably possible.  Hence, perhaps he thought you were a “rambler”.   A lot of people, especially those who have not made a good examination of conscience before hand, can fall into rambling, a bit aimlessly.   A confessor ought to interrupt rambling and help the poor person out of their self-torture and get to the point, which is the point of relief, unburdening.   Another reason for rambling could be embarrassment.   It is best in the confessional just to SAY IT.

As for your situation, I don’t know if you were rambling or not.  Sometimes I think penitents aren’t aware that they are offering up all sorts of extraneous, needless information.   That examination of conscience I mentioned helps to prevent that.

Also, you can confess a LOT of sins in both kind and number in 30 seconds.  Sure, sometimes you need to explain something about circumstances, but that can be important and needed.  That said, most of the time, you don’t need to add circumstances.  Just say what sins you committed and how many times (or how often… to the best of your ability… again examination of conscience beforehand!!!).  It doesn’t have to take a long time.

Do you have to confess the things you didn’t get a change to say?

Technically, not really… all of your sins were forgiven with the absolution, not some of them.   This applies also to things you sincerely forget about and didn’t actually confess.   That said, if you remember something, sure, bring it up the next time you go to confession.  We should confess all the mortal sins of which we are aware or which we remember that are unconfessed later on.  “Father, the last time I went to confession, I forgot to confess…X”.  In your case, “Father, the last time I went to confession, the priest was pressed for time and I didn’t get to confess A, B and C, which I do now.”  Meanwhile, you sincerely intended to confess your sins and, when you received absolution all your sins were absolved, not some of them.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, GO TO CONFESSION |
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ASK FATHER: Priest went “off script” when giving absolution

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

In Confession recently, a visiting priest went off script during the absolution and concluded with “I do absolve you in the name of the Father…”

Do you think this is valid? I trust in God’s mercy but left the confessional doubting the validity. Should I let the pastor know about ? Or the vicar general for the region? I am furious to think of souls left in sin by a priest playing fast and loose with our most sacred rites! Pray for the priest to be a better one!

A couple things first.

First, good for you for going to confession.  I hope this is a regular part of your life, along with a frequent and thorough examination of conscience.

Next, the confessor was a “visiting priest”.  That means that it could be hard to bring the issue up with him directly.  If the priest is from a neighboring parish, it wouldn’t be hard to find him.  However, if he was just at your parish that weekend to preach for a mission somewhere, then there isn’t a high chance of engaging him.

To the point: If what you report he said is accurate, then, yes, the form was valid

The introduction of “do” would not change in any significant way the sense of the form of absolution.  As a matter of fact, the Latin absolvo can be translated as “I absolve” or “I do absolve” or “I am absolving”.

The priest should NOT use his own translation, however.

That said, priests … how many times have I typed this?… should STICK TO THE APPROVED FORM!

FATHERS!   Review occasionally the form of absolution.

Anecdote.

I was at supper with a priest and I remarked that, on my way there, I saw a bad car accident site being cleaned up.  It must have been very bad, because there was a burned out car involved.  I couldn’t see any injured person at the time so I didn’t stop, but it made me think of the form for Anointing and of the Apostolic Pardon at time of death.  I started to repeat them – in Latin – to check my memory.   That lead to the priest and I talking about the changes to the English translation of the form of absolution which took effect a while back.  Since I don’t use English at all, I wanted to double check what the change was and he launched into the form.  And he got it wrong.   Mind you, this is an excellent, diligent, 100% reliable priest I’m talking about, and he left something out, even on repetition.  He was a little horrified when I mentioned it.  Mind you, he left out some little element of the long form that would not have had any impact on the validity of the absolution.  Nevertheless, he got the form, as a whole, wrong.   This just goes to show that priests should, from time to time, refresh and keep a copy of the form in the confessional, and a copy of the form for anointing and the pardon handy when going around.

FATHERS!   This goes for celebration of Mass as well.  STICK TO THE BOOK!   That means, LOOK AT THE BOOK!  That’s why it is on the altar.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, GO TO CONFESSION |
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ASK FATHER: Security video camera inside a confessional

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

Are security cameras allowed inside the confessional? I went to confession to a Novus Ordo parish and when I was done saying my sins something prompted me to look up and when I did, I saw a security camera on the ceiling pointing straight at me. I’m concerned because I normally go to confession here, but I’m not sure how long that camera has been there. On my next regular confession, I went back to the same church just to make sure that in fact it was a camera and sure enough it was. Is there something in canon law that prohibits this. Wouldn’t this violate the seal of confession? Should I notify the bishop?

Just when I thought I had heard pretty much everything, there is this.

The Code Canon Law touches on this topic but does give a crystal clear answer to your question as you asked it.  Why?  Because we don’t know if that camera was recording sound or not.

It is possible that it was able to record the mouths of penitents moving, which means that a certain amount of lip reading could be done.  With new AI tools, who knows?

This is what the Code says.  Read this and then tell me!  This is the canon that deals with the censure for priests/confessors who violate the Seal and about anyone else who would reveal the contents of a confession. Emphases mine.  Most pertinent is § 3.

Can. 1386— § 1. A confessor who directly violates the sacramental seal incurs a latae sententiae excommunication reserved to the Apostolic See; he who does so only indirectly is to be punished according to the gravity of the offence.

§ 2. Interpreters, and the others mentioned in can. 983 § 2, who violate the secret are to be punished with a just penalty, not excluding excommunication.

§ 3. Without prejudice to the provisions of §§ 1 and 2, any person who by means of any technical device makes a recording of what is said by the priest or by the penitent in a sacramental confession, either real or simulated, or who divulges it through the means of social communication, is to be punished according to the gravity of the offence, not excluding, in the case of a cleric, by dismissal from the clerical state.

The key items here are “any person”, and “any technical device” and “or by the penitent”.

Whoever turns on that cam is “any person”.  A security cam is a “technical device”.  The cam was aimed at “the penitent”.

Again, we don’t know if sound was recorded or lip movement was recorded.  If just the back of the penitent’s head and back were recorded without sound, I think this canon may not strictly apply.

HOWEVER… this has a VERY bad feeling to it.  The fact that you asking shows that.

Not too long ago, when making a confession of my own, I beat up a young priest for having his active mobile phone with him, which I could clearly see through the rather sheer curtain.  I also beat him up for screwing up the form of absolution.

I am fully aware that priests would want to protect their own physical persons and public reputations and have mitigating evidence in the case of false accusations.  Still, this doesn’t seem right to me.

I would bring this up with the pastor of the parish, in a written letter asking for a written response.  I would send a copy to the local bishop.   If the pastor will not respond… or if he does in an inadequate way, then send the copies of the correspondence with the pastor to the bishop.  If that doesn’t produce a response, then send copies of everything to Apostolic Nuncio.

Meanwhile, you might want to find somewhere else to make your confessions.

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Wherein cooking and conclaves how the cardinals ate in conclaves come together in a fun video

This is great and the history is pretty good.

Just sit back and enjoy and… maybe… make a few notes and TRY the recipe!   I’ve forwarded to priest friends who are really into smoking and bbq, … hint hint hint…

There is a lot of fun church history, conclave trivia.

Posted in Fr. Z's Kitchen, SESSIUNCULA |
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ROME 25/4– Day 28-29: New Pope – What Do The Romans Really Say?

WRITTEN YESTERDAY MORNING 8 MAY:

On this first full day – maybe full day, maybe note – the sun rose at 5:55. Sunset is slated for 20:19.

The Ave Maria Bell is still in its 20:30 cycle for the Roman Curia.

Today is the Feast of two Pope’s, Boniface IV (+615) who in dramatic fashion consecrated the Pantheon as a church dedicated to Our Lady of Martyrs and Pope Benedict II (+685).

Could we, today, get a Boniface X or a Benedict XVII?

Today is also one of two days of the year when we offer the Supplica to Our Lady of Pompeii.


WRITTEN TODAY 9 May:

On the first full day of the Pontificate of Leo XIV the sun rose at 5:54. It will set at 20:20.

The Ave Maria… will it begin to ring again? … in the 20:30 cycle.

It is the Feast of St. Isaiah, Old Testament Prophet.

People have pointed out that, yesterday, we have the Supplica to Our Lady of Pompeii and the 1500th anniversary of the Apparition of St. Michael at Monte Gargano… to the day.

What does that portend?

Who knows.

There are lots of rumors going around that Papa Prevost has celebrated the TLM. Some say this forcefully. I would like to think so, especially because I think that EVERY priest should know how to say it! The TLM teaches priests about who they are. Over time the gains are great and the knock on effects are significant.

My early sense is that he is not going to further punish people who want it. My early sense is that he will let Taurina cacata slip into the vague fog of fading memory or maybe after some benign neglect, sweep it aside.

I like the new papal name. It reminds us of the early stirrings of the modern Church’s social teaching because of Rerum novarum of Leo XIII. It also reminds us of Leo XIII’s powerful MARIAN devotion!

Moreover, Leo is the only name of a relatively recent Pope that is not likely to provoke negative associations in any of the various factions of today’s Church.

Welcome REGISTRANTS:

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Good to see new people.

It’s hard to know what to post, since there is so much to write about.  Hence, I’ll still to the bread and butter of these daily posts.

Last night I got together with a few friends for supper at a favorite place which is going from success to success.

Here is my first course (instead of pasta), asparagus with crumbled hard boiled egg and house-mayo.

I didn’t order this, but I was able to have a bite.  This is monk fish made like saltimbocca.

It was remarkably good!

We had a choice of amaro.  The World’s Best Sacristan™ can’t exercise any control when it comes to photo bombs.

Guess which one I had.

In the market this morning.

My walk through the Campo de’ Fiori this morning was funny.

The new Pope was the topic, at least with me, the guy in a cassock.   Since they are ROMANS… I asked them what they thought.   The results made me laugh.

First, “I don’t like him” – “Why?” – “I don’t like his face.”  “Really?”  “I don’t like his face… too skinny.”

Next, “I really like him!” – “Why?” – “I like his face, he seems nice”.

Next, “I don’t like him.” “Why?” “I don’t like his face… and he’s not Italian, enough with the foreigners.”

Next, “He’s great!” “Why” – “I like his face and he AMERICAN!” “Really?”  “Why not? And he’s young!”

Please note well: Almost all Romans are theologians of some sort.  They are not usually very good at it, but they are rarely uncertain.

Please remember me when shopping online and use my affiliate links.  US HERE – UK HERE  WHY?  This helps to pay for health insurance (massively hiked for this new year of surprises), utilities, groceries, etc..  At no extra cost, you provide help for which I am grateful.

Black to move and mate in 4.

NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.

It is fun and instructive to watch the high level games with good commentary.  Right now there is a big match up in Bucharest for quite a lot of money and circuit points.   Today my guy Wesley So is up against the young Pole phenom Jan-Krzysztof Duda.

Can you visit the Benedictine monks of Norcia and help them by getting some of their excellent beer?  It could be a gift to someone else.

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