Category Archives: Classic Posts

QUAERITUR: Where did Mass “facing the people” come from?

We should network our brain power for this.  Father’s tired. From a reader: I once wrote (by invitation) an article for a diocesan newspaper in which I mentioned, inter alia, that Vatican II never called for the priest to face … Read More

Posted in ASK FATHER Question Box, Classic Posts, SESSIUNCULA | Tagged , , ,
101 Comments

Sister Act

I read the National Catholic Fishwrap piece about the change of sisterly presidency of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. They had their rite of farewelling and leadershiping for the outgoing prez. What the hell is this?  Star Trek?

Posted in Classic Posts, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, My Favorite Posts, Throwing a Nutty | Tagged
57 Comments

OLDIE PODCAzT 84: St. Pius V and Quo primum

An oldie PODCAzT for today, which in the feast of St. Pius V in the older, traditional Roman calendar: On this feast of St. Pope Pius V (+1572) I drill into one of his most famous acts as Roman Pontiff.  … Read More

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6 Comments

Bp. Slattery’s Sermon in Washington DC – unforgettable

Here is the audio of Bp. Edward Slattery’s marvelous sermon at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Amazing. Bp. Slattery, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, stepped up and made himself available to be celebrant for the Pontifical Mass in the older, traditional … Read More

Posted in Brick by Brick, Classic Posts, Our Catholic Identity, Pope of Christian Unity, Sermons, SESSIUNCULA | Tagged , ,
48 Comments

A magisterium of nuns

In this matter of contingent, prudential judgments, whose judgment will in time prove to have been the more prudent? The Catholic bishops with pro-life groups or their opposition, the LCWR and CHA and NCR, etc? I happen to think the … Read More

Posted in Classic Posts, Magisterium of Nuns, Our Catholic Identity, SESSIUNCULA, The Drill, The future and our choices, Wherein Fr. Z Rants | Tagged , , , , ,
90 Comments

STATIONS OF THE CROSS (audio from Fr. Z)

Many parishes and chapels will have the Via Crucis or Stations of the Cross during Lent. What version does your parish use?   Let’s get some titles/versions/authors and we can have a poll later on. I have audio projects with the … Read More

Posted in Classic Posts, LENT, PODCAzT | Tagged , ,
39 Comments

Merry del Val revisited; sundry digressions on Ratzinger and Horace and The Cardinal

Once upon a time the Secretary of State was not at the top of the heap in the Vatican Curia. Then came Pope Paul VI. To gain some historical perspective be sure to check the piece about Card. Merry del … Read More

Posted in Classic Posts, Linking Back |
7 Comments

Gaudete Rose is coming; WDTPRS POLL

We know that blue is not the color for the season of Advent in the Latin Church. But we also know that on one Sunday of Advent we can have a variation from purple/violet. Therefore, confident in the principle behind … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Classic Posts | Tagged , , , ,
37 Comments

Pro-death politician refused Communion

You probably already read this story last May, but here it is again, to refresh your memory. A reader, PR of Adelaide, alerted me to the following from Ille Curator News Service. I have a few qualms about the details … Read More

Posted in Classic Posts, Emanations from Penumbras, Linking Back, The future and our choices | Tagged , ,
10 Comments

PODCAzTs on the 40th Anniversary of the Novus Ordo

On the 1st Sunday of Advent in 1969, 40 years ago, the Novus Ordo of the Mass went into effect. I recently made some audio projects about this monumental event (and I may make more). Be sure to check these … Read More

Posted in Classic Posts, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Our Catholic Identity, PODCAzT, SESSIUNCULA |
33 Comments

Wherein Bp. Trautman runs down new translation and Fr. Z responds

In the Catholic Review of the Archdiocese of Baltimore comes this CNS story. On 22 October His Excellency Most Rev. Donald W. Trautman, Bishop of Erie, gave a talk at Catholic University of American in which he ran down the … Read More

Posted in Classic Posts, Our Catholic Identity, PRO MULTIS, SESSIUNCULA, The Drill, WDTPRS, Wherein Fr. Z Rants | Tagged , , ,
104 Comments

OLDIE PODCAzT: Augustine on Prayer; how to treat newcomers to Traditional Latin Masses

I am digging out of the archive an old PODCAzT. These days in the Liturgy of the Hours we have had readings from St. Augustine’s Letter 130 to the wealthy widow Proba, who had fled to North Africa after Alaric … Read More

Posted in Classic Posts, Patristiblogging, SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM |
4 Comments

How St. Augustine came to be in Hippo

Many bloggers – certainly patristibloggers – will be posting today about St. Augustine. Rather than relate the same old stuff you already know, you might be interested in other less known episodes from the life of this titanic figure who … Read More

Posted in Classic Posts, Patristiblogging, Saints: Stories & Symbols |
10 Comments

The bones of St. Augustine

Augustine died on 28 August 430. His friend and biographer Possidius describes his last days during the siege of Hippo by the Vandals. Sometime before the early 8th century, Augustine’s remains were translated from N. Africa to Sardinia for fear … Read More

Posted in Classic Posts, Saints: Stories & Symbols |
10 Comments

St. Monica’s tomb

This is the chapel in the church of St. Augustine in Rome (literally across the street from my back door when in the City) where the mortal remains of St. Monica (+387), the mother of Augustine of Hippo now rest. … Read More

Posted in Classic Posts, My View, Saints: Stories & Symbols, SESSIUNCULA | Tagged , , , ,
9 Comments

Buginicare

Liberals pit the experience of the individual during Mass against the assembly. Most liberals think congregations should be nearly constrained to do everything everyone else does (including what the priest does). Is it possible that the Novus Ordo lends itself … Read More

Posted in Classic Posts, Linking Back, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Mail from priests, Our Catholic Identity, SESSIUNCULA, SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged , , ,
44 Comments

Transfiguration: Feast for the Lateran Basilica

Did you know that today is the titular feast of the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the Cathedral of Rome? "But Father! But Father", I can hear you objecting. "Don’t you know that that basilica is called ‘St. John‘? How … Read More

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4 Comments

The 4th Luminous Mystery: Transfiguration

We continue our Patristic Rosary Project today with the: 4th Luminous Mystery: The Transfiguration The Mystery of the Transfiguration was a matter of intense reflection on the part of the Fathers. Remember that this takes place some eight days after … Read More

Posted in Classic Posts, Linking Back, Patristic Rosary Project |
4 Comments

The Problem With Toning Down the Rhetoric – And Why We Probably Won’t Do It

The Problem With Toning Down the Rhetoric – And Why We Probably Won’t Do It Some of my Catholic friends have been urging me and others on the Catholic right to tone down the rhetoric when it comes to discussing … Read More

Posted in Caption Call, Classic Posts, SESSIUNCULA, The future and our choices | Tagged , , , , , , , ,
168 Comments

Archbp. John Caroll’s Prayer for Government

The following prayer was composed by John Carroll, Archbishop of Baltimore, in 1791. He was the first bishop appointed for the United States in 1789 by Pope Pius VI. He was made the first archbishop when his see of Baltimore … Read More

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