Category Archives: Reading Francis Through Benedict

Card. Burke: liturgical abuses “strictly correlated with a lot of moral corruption”

Around here we say: Save The Liturgy – Save The World A preamble: The Eucharist, its celebration and itself as the extraordinary Sacrament, is the “source and summit of Christian life”. If we really believe that, then we must also hold that what we … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Benedict XVI, Francis, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, New Evangelization, Our Catholic Identity, Reading Francis Through Benedict, SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM, The future and our choices, Vatican II | Tagged , , , ,
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Francis on Benedict: “Today I was with ‘el viejo’… ‘the old man’…”

I have kept the banner image of Benedict and Francis with that phrase “Reading Francis through Benedict” at the top of the blog, to remind people that we don’t pit Popes against each other.  There will be differences in interests … Read More

Posted in Benedict XVI, Francis, Just Too Cool, Reading Francis Through Benedict | Tagged , , , , ,
9 Comments

Reading Benedict Through Francis: Exploring ‘Lumen fidei 13’

Pope Benedict/Francis’ new encyclical, Lumen fidei (download PDF HERE), has some rich paragraphs. One in particular rang a deep bell for me. I think Benedict wove in an argument in favor of a particular style of liturgical worship.  See what … Read More

Posted in Benedict XVI, Francis, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Reading Francis Through Benedict, SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM, The Drill, What are they REALLY saying? | Tagged , , , , , , ,
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Lumen fidei – New Encyclical from Pope Francis

I am reading Lumen fidei, the new, first encyclical from Pope Francis. From what I can tell, it is nearly entirely Benedict. If, as Pope, you have to have a ghost writer, why not another Pope?  Talk about “Reading Francis … Read More

Posted in Benedict XVI, Francis, Reading Francis Through Benedict |
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Document ready for close of Year of Faith

From Vatican Radio: Pope Francis: post-Synodal exhortation ready for Year of Faith’s close (full text) (Vatican Radio) The post-Synodal Exhortation on the new evangelization will be ready in time for the close of the Year of Faith. This was just … Read More

Posted in Benedict XVI, Francis, Reading Francis Through Benedict, Year of Faith | Tagged , , ,
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Archbishop on the TLM: “you must try to get as many people as possible to walk down this path of yours”

Here is some great news. I was sent a translation of a sermon given by the new Archbishop of Ferrara-Comacchio, His Excellency Most Rev. Luigi Negri, on Pentecost at the Marian Shrine of Poggetto.  The occasion was a celebration of … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Benedict XVI, Brick by Brick, Fr. Z KUDOS, Francis, Just Too Cool, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Mail from priests, New Evangelization, Our Catholic Identity, Reading Francis Through Benedict, SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM, The future and our choices | Tagged , , , ,
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Pope Francis shoots down bishops who want Summorum Pontificum overturned

Recently there was a news item about some Italian bishops griping (that’s not news) to Pope Francis (ditto) about Summorum Pontificum (as before). They think it should be extirpated (more of the same). Francis shot them down. That’s news. I … Read More

Posted in Benedict XVI, Brick by Brick, Francis, Just Too Cool, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Mail from priests, Our Catholic Identity, Reading Francis Through Benedict, SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM, Throwing a Nutty | Tagged , , ,
33 Comments

Reading Francis Through Benedict: the pastoral staves – modern Paul VI and traditional Benedict XVI

Small gestures, as they accumulate, point to something bigger. I applied this principle to the use of certain liturgical vestments.  For example, when Benedict XVI revived the fanon (HERE), I took that as a signal.  In itself, the fanon isn’t … Read More

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What does Fr. Z really say? A response to critics on the left and the right.

Back on 2 April – which in blog years is like a decade ago – I offered a brief manifesto about how I think we ought to approach Pope Francis. In fact, there are any number of entries I have … Read More

Posted in "But Father! But Father!", Francis, Linking Back, Our Catholic Identity, Reading Francis Through Benedict, The Drill, What are they REALLY saying?, Wherein Fr. Z Rants | Tagged , ,
119 Comments

If Francis wants a leaner, humble liturgy… then we need sacred music to match. We already have it!

Some extol the new “humble” liturgical style of Pope Francis in the wrong way.  They oppose his style to a grand or solemn style, as if the one excludes the other. The humble does NOT cancel out the grand.  Nor … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Benedict XVI, Francis, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, New Evangelization, Our Catholic Identity, Reading Francis Through Benedict, The future and our choices | Tagged , , , , ,
38 Comments

Reading Francis Through Benedict: clerical sexual abuse

We continue to… Read Francis Through Benedict. Here is a communiqué from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith: The Holy Father today received in audience Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Mueller, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. … Read More

Posted in Benedict XVI, Biased Media Coverage, Francis, Reading Francis Through Benedict | Tagged , , ,
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Dippy coverage from Reuters on Pope Francis’ General Audience

It is hard to imagine how wrong newsies can be… and then you run into the abysmally twisted report from Reuters about what Pope Francis said today in his Wednesday audience about women. Pope stresses “fundamental” value of women in … Read More

Posted in Francis, Liberals, Our Catholic Identity, Reading Francis Through Benedict, The Drill | Tagged , ,
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Reading Francis Through Benedict… no… really… try it!

A clever reader caught this and posted about it in the combox elsewhere. Compare a section of Pope Francis general audience today to Pope Benedict’s Jesus of Nazareth part II: One initial difference is that in the confessional tradition only … Read More

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One look at Pope Francis’s first Holy Week. Fr. Z responds with brief manifesto.

Many people don’t know that Pope Francis planned to write his thesis on Romano Guardini, the distinguished theologian and liturgist who had a profound influence on Joseph Ratzinger.  Ratzinger even named one of his most important books with the same title … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Benedict XVI, Francis, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Our Catholic Identity, Reading Francis Through Benedict, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged , , , , ,
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