"The great Father Zed, Archiblogopoios"
-
Fr. John Hunwicke
"Some 2 bit novus ordo cleric"
- Anonymous
"Rev. John Zuhlsdorf, a traditionalist blogger who has never shied from picking fights with priests, bishops or cardinals when liturgical abuses are concerned."
- Kractivism
"Father John Zuhlsdorf is a crank"
"Father Zuhlsdorf drives me crazy"
"the hate-filled Father John Zuhlsford" [sic]
"Father John Zuhlsdorf, the right wing priest who has a penchant for referring to NCR as the 'fishwrap'"
"Zuhlsdorf is an eccentric with no real consequences" -
HERE
- Michael Sean Winters
"Fr Z is a true phenomenon of the information age: a power blogger and a priest."
- Anna Arco
“Given that Rorate Coeli and Shea are mad at Fr. Z, I think it proves Fr. Z knows what he is doing and he is right.”
- Comment
"Let me be clear. Fr. Z is a shock jock, mostly. His readership is vast and touchy. They like to be provoked and react with speed and fury."
- Sam Rocha
"Father Z’s Blog is a bright star on a cloudy night."
- Comment
"A cross between Kung Fu Panda and Wolverine."
- Anonymous
Fr. Z is officially a hybrid of Gandalf and Obi-Wan XD
- Comment
Rev. John Zuhlsdorf, a scrappy blogger popular with the Catholic right.
- America Magazine
RC integralist who prays like an evangelical fundamentalist.
-Austen Ivereigh on
Twitter
[T]he even more mainline Catholic Fr. Z. blog.
-
Deus Ex Machina
“For me the saddest thing about Father Z’s blog is how cruel it is.... It’s astonishing to me that a priest could traffic in such cruelty and hatred.”
- Jesuit homosexualist James Martin to BuzzFeed
"Fr. Z's is one of the more cheerful blogs out there and he is careful about keeping the crazies out of his commboxes"
- Paul in comment at
1 Peter 5
"I am a Roman Catholic, in no small part, because of your blog.
I am a TLM-going Catholic, in no small part, because of your blog.
And I am in a state of grace today, in no small part, because of your blog."
- Tom in
comment
"Thank you for the delightful and edifying omnibus that is your blog."-
Reader comment.
"Fr. Z disgraces his priesthood as a grifter, a liar, and a bully. -
- Mark Shea
From a seminarian:
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That photo is from Oxford Blackfriars, and the priest blessing is Father Anton, from the Oxford Oratory.
I don’t know the actual documentation on this; I’ll have to look it up.
When I celebrated my Mass of Thanksgiving in 2003 after Ordination to the priesthood, I was given the text and authority to give the Papal Blessing and I did.
I don’t know for sure, but I believe our new priests did use an Apostolic Blessing during their first masses (our newly ordained transitional deacons also gave apostolic blessings on the day of their ordination).
The ordination/first Masses celebrated I’ve attended here in the Archdiocese of Atlanta have included the Papal Blessing as part of the occasion. It was quite touching, immediately after the ordination, to see the priests who had just been ordained (with that fresh Chrism smell!) giving their first blessings to their parents.
Nazareth priest: I was given the text and authority to give the Papal Blessing and I did.
Who gave you that authority?
Looking in the Handbook of Indulgences: Norms and Grants under Papal Blessing I found “A plenary indulgence is granted the Christian faithful who devoutly receive the blessing imparted either by the Roman Pontiff to the City and to the World or by the bishop to the faithful entrusted to his care in accord with norm number 10, paragraph 2, of this Handbook. This grant extends also to such blessings when given by means of radio or television.” Next on page 20, paragraph 10 – “From the onset of their pastorial office, diocesan bishops and those equilvent to them in law have the right to: 1. grant partial indulgences to the Christian fiathful commited to their care; 2. impart the papal blessing with a plenary indulgence, in accord with its prescribed formulary, three times a year in their own dioceses at the end of a Mass which has been celebrated with special liturgical beauty on solemnities or feasts that they will designate, even if they only assist at the Mass.”
Regarding Newly Ordained Priests: “A plenary indulgence is granted a priest celebrating his first Mass with a congregation on a schedualed day. The same indulgence is also granted the faithful who devoutly participate in that Mass.” (page 77 of Handbook)
One of the deacons at the North American College submitted a dubium on this three or four years ago (not sure to which Congregation); the reply was “negative.”
jimsantafe: “Negative” doesn’t help us unless we know the question.
Fr. Zuhlsdorf: I don’t remember the exact wording, (it’s been a couple of years since I’ve seen the letter) but the question was whether it is still permitted for a newly ordained priest to give the Papal Blessing at his first Mass.
Does it matter if we still get the indulgences?
But, that said, all the new Frat. priests give the first blessings, though the formula is specific.
Fr. Z: I’ve searched everywhere and cannot find the proper documentation. I guess I was mistaken at the time. I think this understanding of the “Apostolic Blessing” was under the former grant (pre-1986) of indulgences. Even Fr. P. Stravinskas in “The Catholic Encyclopedia” printed in 1991 says that at the first solemn Mass of a newly ordained priest he may impart the apostolic blessing as well as at the moment of death.
I stand corrected.
At least a plenary indulgence was provided for those who were properly disposed!
When I was a seminarian in the mid 90s, I knew a priest of the Diocese of Trenton who worked at the Segnatura in Rome. He had helped me with my thesis, and so I e-mailed him and asked him if he could get me a copy of this decree by Pope Paul, so when I was ordained I could put the exact wording into my 1st Mass program. He e-mailed back and pretty well explained to me what Fr. Z. has said. In fact, I remember he wrote that he wasn’t sure, so he “ran downstairs to the penitentiary” to ask someone (which I found amusing) before writing back to me.
The Enchiridion Indulgentium published in the 80s included the plenary indulgence for those who attend the Mass of a newly ordained priest. Msgr P. (my priest friend) explained that this replaced the need to recite the Apostolic Blessing (which was not granted so the Priest could feel “like a bishop or the pope” for a moment, but to confer the indulgence).
Yes, I was “bummed out”, but I was also shocked when I explained this to some of my classmates who were also planning first Masses, who told me they didn’t care and would recite the apostolic blessing anyway. One even told me it was a “tradition of the X Diocese” for newly ordained to do this.