Category Archives: “But Father! But Father!”

UPDATE- A confluence of promptings leads Fr. Z to rant and to make a plea to bishops.

UPDATE: 1 July 2019 (Precious Blood) Concerning the video about the late Card. Bernardin (linked below) and my association with the novel Windswept House (which has identifiable real people as fictionalized characters), I bring an update.  This is one of … Read More

Posted in "But Father! But Father!", GO TO CONFESSION, Hard-Identity Catholicism, Liberals, Si vis pacem para bellum!, Sin That Cries To Heaven, The Coming Storm, The Drill, The future and our choices, Wherein Fr. Z Rants | Tagged , , ,
27 Comments

@MadisonDiocese prepares for the transition to @BishopHying – UPDATED

UPDATE 27 April: I’m very fortunate to know and have worked with a fine graphic artist, David P. Burkart.  You can see my coat-of-arms – my family’s historic arms –  on my right sidebar.  He’s terrific! David just made a … Read More

Posted in "But Father! But Father!", "How To..." - Practical Notes, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000 | Tagged ,
21 Comments

What went through my during the Gospel this morning?

This morning at Mass a detail in the Gospel pericope struck me with force.  Buried in the longish reading is the key, probably, to its selection by our forebears, who so lovingly polish the gems of our sacred liturgical rites … Read More

Posted in "But Father! But Father!", Wherein Fr. Z Rants |
6 Comments

VIDEO: This explains the Church in Germany

Germany seems to be the caput malorum omnium in the Church today.  Every weird, heretical, and just plain stupid thing comes from that dark swamp of arrogant confusion. “But Father! But Father!”, you libs are blubbering “you are the arrogant and confused … Read More

Posted in "But Father! But Father!", Liberals, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Pò sì jiù, You must be joking! | Tagged
36 Comments

GERMANY: Catastrophic! USA next? @USCCB bishops meeting and YOU. ACTION ITEM!

An image to consider. Two rays extending from the same point get farther and father apart the longer they extend.   If the one ray is the trajectory of Christ’s true Church, then the other ray, that departs from it, … Read More

Posted in "But Father! But Father!", "How To..." - Practical Notes, ACTION ITEM!, Si vis pacem para bellum!, The Coming Storm, The future and our choices | Tagged , ,
7 Comments

Cri de Coeur: calls for punishing action against bishops complicit in L’Affaire McCarrick

Today I read at Crisis a smart piece by Eric Sammons which argued that, because of the unaddressed, indeed covered up scandal of McCarrick … and others, just wait!… Catholics should address the problem of feckless bishops by withholding money:  … Read More

Posted in "But Father! But Father!", Cri de Coeur, SESSIUNCULA, The Coming Storm, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged , , ,
36 Comments

An Armenian bishop “ordains” a deaconette

My inbox is being pelted with a story that some Armenian Orthodox bishop in Tehran “ordained” a female deacon.  For example HERE and HERE. To which I respond: Ho hum. First, I’m not sure that we care much about a … Read More

Posted in "But Father! But Father!", Deaconettes, You must be joking! | Tagged , ,
13 Comments

WDTPRS – Sunday 31 Dec – Holy Family: We must pray that God be appeased.

Sunday in the Octave of Christmas, in the Novus Ordo calendar, is the Feast of the Holy Family.  In the traditional calendar, the Feast of the Holy Family will be celebrated on Sunday, 7 January. Our liturgical, seasonal context is … Read More

Posted in "But Father! But Father!", Liturgy Science Theatre 3000 |
1 Comment

Blessing smart phones. Wherein Fr. Z rants about blessings and demons and present day stupidity.

Yes, I have blessed smart phones, tablets and computers. Consultation with exorcists will inform you that demons are really good at infesting electronic equipment.  I’ve heard enough scary stories from exorcists about that to leave me cautious and, at times, … Read More

Posted in "But Father! But Father!", "How To..." - Practical Notes, Hard-Identity Catholicism, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Wherein Fr. Z Rants |
12 Comments

Latin. @RobertSRoyal opines while Fr. Z rants.

You all know that I tend to bang on about Latin in our sacred liturgical worship. Most of us belong to the Roman Catholic, Latin Church.  The Latin Church. Never using or hearing our language of prayer and teaching affects … Read More

Posted in "But Father! But Father!", "How To..." - Practical Notes, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, WDTPRS, Wherein Fr. Z Rants | Tagged , ,
45 Comments

NLM: Useful study of creation of the Novus Ordo Lectionary

Have you followed the tennis match back and forth that has resulted since Card. Sarah’s suggestion in La Nef that the Extraordinary and the Ordinary Forms of Mass should have a coordinated Lectionary? Some were cool about that suggestion and … Read More

Posted in "But Father! But Father!", "How To..." - Practical Notes, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000 | Tagged , , , ,
25 Comments

ASK FATHER: Holding hands or the “orans” position during the Our Father. Wherein Fr. Z rants.

From a reader… QUAERITUR: Over at the Fishwrap (aka National Schismatic Reporter) there is a question today about hold hands during the Our Father.  As you might guess they reference liberals who are probably unreliable.  What say you?  Is hand … Read More

Posted in "But Father! But Father!", "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Linking Back, Our Catholic Identity, Wherein Fr. Z Rants | Tagged ,
82 Comments

ASK FATHER: When do traditional Catholics throw in the towel?

From a reader… QUAERITUR: I have been engaged in a deep theological and spiritual crisis for 10 years now, struggling to remain Catholic or finally cross the Bosphorus and convert to Orthodoxy. [pffffft] It seems that with every passing day, … Read More

Posted in ¡Hagan lío!, "But Father! But Father!", ASK FATHER Question Box, Be The Maquis, Hard-Identity Catholicism, The Coming Storm, The future and our choices | Tagged ,
63 Comments

I’m cool about a certain popular devotion. Wherein Fr Z goes all ‘RAH!’

UPDATE: 22 June I was alerted to nastygram at Path…eos by a, presumably young, lady whose name was unfamiliar to me – Rebecca Bratten Weiss. Rebecca took exception to what I posted, below, although I’m not convinced that she read it. … Read More

Posted in "But Father! But Father!", Our Catholic Identity, Wherein Fr. Z Rants | Tagged
85 Comments

ASK FATHER: Can absolution be granted when no purpose of amendment exists?

Under another entry here a commentator asked: Can absolution be granted where no purpose of amendment exists? If granted, with no purpose of amendment, does it even ‘take’? No. And No. In normal circumstances, when there isn’t danger or some … Read More

Posted in "But Father! But Father!", "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, GO TO CONFESSION, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Vatican II | Tagged , , , , , ,
40 Comments

The Blood of San Gennaro

On Saturday early I got a text message from a friend in Italy that, in Naples, San Gennaro’s blood did not liquify on one of the dates that it was… supposed to. Now I see the story at La Stampa. The … Read More

Posted in "But Father! But Father!", Saints: Stories & Symbols | Tagged ,
5 Comments

It is as if the Church simply caved in before the world and its Prince.

Around the time of the Second Vatican Council some of our sound practices were simply dropped, as if they were no longer needed.  For example, the Leonine Prayers after Low Mass which included the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel. … Read More

Posted in ¡Hagan lío!, "But Father! But Father!", Be The Maquis, Hard-Identity Catholicism, Our Catholic Identity, Si vis pacem para bellum!, The Coming Storm, The Drill, Vatican II | Tagged , , , ,
30 Comments

Fr. Z’s Annual Rant On Blue Vestments

The use of blue vestments during Advent has been dying out for several years as the aging hippies drop.  However, inspired by Pope Francis, perhaps we shouldn’t be so rigid and just – what the heck – use them anyway? … Read More

Posted in "But Father! But Father!", Lighter fare, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Wherein Fr. Z Rants | Tagged ,
26 Comments

1962: Of Manners in Church, of the Vernacular, and of Vocations

One of you readers sent me a link to a video from 1962, made in Ireland, about the changes in the Ritual for administration of sacraments, especially of Marriage and Baptism.   They talk about the New Ritual, the introduction of … Read More

Posted in "But Father! But Father!", Lighter fare, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Women Religious | Tagged , ,
14 Comments

ASK FATHER: The priest said: “I give you the absolution …”

From a reader… QUAERITUR: Reverend Father, If a priest in the confessional says “I give you the absolution in the name of the Father and the Song and the Holy Spirit” Is the absolution valid since he did not say … Read More

Posted in "But Father! But Father!", "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, GO TO CONFESSION, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000 | Tagged , , ,
31 Comments