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.
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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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Speaking of cassocks –
Saw the presser with the American Cardinals. Only Dolan wore one.
Cardinal Burke wasn’t there.
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.
Wasn’t it Pope Leo XIII who composed the St. Michael the Archangel Prayer?
As the Pope approached the balcony, my heart skipped a beat as I saw him cloaked in all of the beautiful vestments symbolic of his office. Also, his mention of Aquinas caught my ear as I listened to him speak.
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A few more very notable things about Pope Leo XIII stood out when I heard the pronouncement of the Pope’s choice of his name:
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The encyclical Orientalium dignitas of 1894 which preserved Eastern Rite liturgies:
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“that the ancient Eastern rites are a witness to the Apostolicity of the Catholic Church, that their diversity, consistent with unity of the faith, is itself a witness to the unity of the Church, that they add to her dignity and honour…. the Catholic Church does not possess one rite only, but that she embraces all the ancient rites of Christendom; her unity consists not in a mechanical uniformity of all her parts, but on the contrary, in their variety, according in one principle and vivified by it.”
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I could only hope that Leo XIV follows the forma mentis of Leo XIII and Benedict XVI, perhaps more formally (Apostolic Constitution?) for the Tridentine Rite that returns the law to the precepts of Summorum pontificum. Needless to say, if he has indeed said the TLM, this gives me even more hope his papacy will about face the injustice.
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Leo XIII also named four doctors of the Church. Perhaps, he might undertake steps that could eventually lead to Benedict XVI being given this noble title.
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Viva il Papa!
Funny that you mention his face, my mother for the first time saw our new Holy Father’s face on a newspaper and said he was “adorable!”
I don’t know guys, it’s looking pretty good, all things considered. And I’m typically quite cynical. According to a new Rorate Caeli post (https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2025/05/rector-of-cathedral-in-popes-former.html#more) our new Holy Father seems solid on the unspeakable vice of the Greeks. And we’ve all heard the rumors that our new Holy Father is friendly to the Vetus Ordo, as Father mentioned. I just saw an ABC article (https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/pope-leo-xiv-voting-us-elections/story?id=121648673) which states: “Leo voted in the 2024 general election, the 2018 general election, the 2016 Republican primary, the 2014 general election and Republican primary and the 2012 general election and Republican primary, according to the voter history from the Will County Clerk’s Office.” Not bad… wonder how the fake news media is gonna spin that.
Only Popes and Presidents are considered to be young at 69!
Yesterday, a reporter from a national news outfit (this reporter is based in Europe) said he was talking to Romans on the street. One comment this reporter made was that several locals were shocked that the new Pope wasn’t an Italian.
Fr. Z. echoed that while he was at the market.
He has some Italian blood in him. Remember, the last Bishop of Rome was also ethnically Italian.