Monthly Archives: April 2012

QUAERITUR: Priests, valid absolution of sins, and the faculty to receive sacrament confessions

From a reader about something I raised HERE. In a recent post you wrote, “bishops and priests have Christ’s own power to forgive sins and they do so validly with the Church’s permission, indicated by a ‘faculty.’” Does this mean … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Linking Back, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Priests and Priesthood, The Drill | Tagged , , , , , ,
15 Comments

SSPX options and the Pope of Christian Unity

Benedict XVI is the Pope of Christian Unity. From the intrepid Andrea Tornielli’s Vatican Insider of the Italian daily La Stampa.  My emphases and comments. The Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X writes to his priests: “We are waiting, … Read More

Posted in Brick by Brick, Pope of Christian Unity | Tagged , , , ,
52 Comments

Ad multos annos Pope Benedict

Say a prayer for Pope Benedict today on his 85th birthday. He is now one of the oldest of Popes in history. Here is a shot of my Vatican Curia wall calendar. Close up of the birthday item. UPDATE: I … Read More

Posted in SESSIUNCULA |
5 Comments

Any good news?

What is your good news today?

Posted in SESSIUNCULA |
43 Comments

UK: British atheists try to block new Catholic schools

From the UK’s best Catholic weekly, The Catholic Herald comes this dreadful tale: Humanists to mount legal challenge against new schools By MADELEINE TEAHAN on Thursday, 12 April 2012 A legal challenge will be launched against the building of two new … Read More

Posted in SESSIUNCULA | Tagged , , , , ,
21 Comments

Your Sunday Mass and sermon notes

Was there a good point in the Sunday sermon you heard?  Some point of Mass apart from the norm that earned special attention?  Share it here.

Posted in SESSIUNCULA |
21 Comments

A Titanic Fata Morgana

By now most of you know that today was the 100th anniversary of the sinking of RMS Titanic. Astronomy Pic of the Day, which isn’t limited to covering things celestial, has a photo of a very curious natural phenomenon which … Read More

Posted in Just Too Cool, Look! Up in the sky! | Tagged , , , , ,
14 Comments

“Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them…”

The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, GO TO CONFESSION, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Our Catholic Identity, Patristiblogging | Tagged , , , , ,
7 Comments

Spitfires! Very cool story.

I saw this at Sancte Pater from the Daily Mail. One of the coolest airplanes evvvver. The new Battle of Burma: Find 20 buried Spitfires and make them fly By Kirsty Walker (Mail Online) Twenty brand-new RAF Spitfires could soon … Read More

Posted in Just Too Cool | Tagged , , , ,
18 Comments

The Mercy of God: A truth for some uncomfortable, even offensive.

There is no sin so horrible that we little mortals can commit which our infinite and willing God will not forgive, provided we truly repent and seek forgiveness. The ordinary means of God definitively extending His mercy to us in … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Brick by Brick, GO TO CONFESSION, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Non Nobis and Te Deum, Our Catholic Identity, Pray For A Miracle | Tagged , , , , , , , ,
46 Comments

Operation HOT MIC!

Perhaps this could be run as an ad from now until the election in November? [wp_youtube]-Czo5Vf8KZs[/wp_youtube]

Posted in Dogs and Fleas, Our Catholic Identity, Religious Liberty | Tagged , , , , , ,
23 Comments

US Bishops: Bloggers play ‘critical role’ in defending Church. Fr. Z makes a proposal.

When the Obama Administration began to attack the 1st Amendment, Catholic bloggers rose up. When the U.S. Bishops called for rallies for religious freedom, Catholic bloggers posted links and dates and places. When the USCCB and Card. Dolan and Bp. … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Biased Media Coverage, Blognics, Brick by Brick, Dogs and Fleas, New Evangelization, Our Catholic Identity, Religious Liberty, The Drill, The future and our choices, The Last Acceptable Prejudice, Wherein Fr. Z Rants | Tagged , , , , , , , , ,
46 Comments

EXPLOSION ABOARD ODYSSEY! 42 years ago on Friday 13th

Jimmy Akin reminded me today that it is the anniversary of the day an oxygen tank exploded in the Service Module of Apollo 13 on its way to our great natural satellite’s Fra Mauro Highlands, named after the 15th c. … Read More

Posted in Just Too Cool, Look! Up in the sky!, The future and our choices | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,
16 Comments

The Feeder Feed: Scruffy and Christological Goldfinch Edition

I haven’t posted much about the birds at the feeder.  This, and a recent trip to the Detroit Institute of Art, gives me a chance to use a feature the blog’s software offers and which I have never used. Here … Read More

Posted in On the road, The Feeder Feed | Tagged , , , , , , ,
5 Comments

Was a Council necessary? Explain in 200 words or less.

Fr. Bede Rowe of A Chaplain Abroad has an amusing post about the observance of the anniversary of the Second Vatican Council. He begins: There was a world wide consultation of Bishops before the initial preparation of the Council began. I … Read More

Posted in Dogs and Fleas, Mail from priests, New Evangelization, Our Catholic Identity, Religious Liberty, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged , ,
134 Comments

When the Global Killer Asteroid arrives, let’s do better than the Great Successor!

How are we going to get Bruce Willis up to 2011 AG5, that killer asteroid that’s heading our way?!? Don’t ask North Korea’s Great Successor Kim Jong-un! Whatever their next act is, Ladies and Gents, it’ll be a blast too. I … Read More

Posted in Global Killer Asteroid Questions, Lighter fare, TEOTWAWKI, The future and our choices | Tagged , , , , , ,
14 Comments

What about Pres. Obama’s surrogate Hillary Rosen? Huh?

Hillary Rosen, the left-wing political and lesbian activist and Obama operative, thinks that Ann Romney, the DCIS cancer surviving, MS enduring mother of five, has “actually never worked a day in her life”. [wp_youtube]T_BRWBUVhyc[/wp_youtube] Does that jive with your experience of … Read More

Posted in The Drill, The future and our choices, Throwing a Nutty | Tagged , , , , , , , ,
50 Comments

U.S. Bishops Issue Call To Action To Defend Religious Liberty

From the website of the USCCB: April 12, 2012 Urge strong lay involvement Outline threats to First Freedom at all levels of government and abroad Call upon dioceses to pursue religious liberty fortnight, June 21-July 4 [Mark your calendars.  Get … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Blatteroons, Brick by Brick, Dogs and Fleas, New Evangelization, Our Catholic Identity, Religious Liberty, The Drill, The future and our choices, The Last Acceptable Prejudice | Tagged , , , , , , ,
36 Comments

WDTPRS Easter Thursday – diversity and wholeness

The Collect for the Ordinary Form and the Extraordinary Form caught my eye: Deus, qui diversitatem gentium in confessione tui nominis adunasti, da, ut renatis fonte baptismatis una sit fides mentium et pietas actionum. This is a modern tinkering with … Read More

Posted in WDTPRS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,
4 Comments

Condom-promoting Nun v. U.S. Catholic Bishops. The Magisterium of Nuns is still shrill.

On Indy.com we find this. There is a backstory which the article will explain: There’s good news and national news at RecycleForce, the Eastside non-profit that provides jobs and re-entry assistance to ex-offenders. Less than a month after having $20,000 … Read More

Posted in Dogs and Fleas, One Man & One Woman, Our Catholic Identity, Religious Liberty, The Drill, The future and our choices, The Last Acceptable Prejudice, Throwing a Nutty | Tagged , , , , , , ,
58 Comments