Category Archives: Priests and Priesthood

The Cassock

Use of the cassock. In England… and in Wales?… it was illegal to wear the cassock in public.  Perhaps it still is.  I believe there is a tale told that Queen Elizabeth paid the fine for John Paul II.  Se non è … Read More

Posted in Lighter fare, Mail from priests, Our Catholic Identity, Priests and Priesthood | Tagged , ,
64 Comments

Did Pope Francis insult some young priests? Fr. Z opines and tells a story.

This isn’t the sort of thing that should pull much of our attention or energy.  However, I have been asked about it in email by a surprising number of people, including priests. It seems that the site Messa in latino picked … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Francis, Mail from priests, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, The Drill | Tagged , ,
22 Comments

Female altar servers up, ordinations down

In once-Catholic Austria, now female altarettes outnumber male servers.  HERE Nearly a quarter century after the practice of female altar servers became licit, 55% of Austria’s 45,000 altar servers are girls, according to statistics published by the Archdiocese of Vienna. … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, The Coming Storm, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged , ,
107 Comments

Fr. Blake on fake news, filthy lies, nasty people, anonymity, vilification and bile

From my friend Fr. Ray Blake, the great PP of Brighton: Did you believe the story about the Pope submitting his five dubia to Cardinal Mueller? No nor did I, I just don’t believe the stories that begin Monsignor A … Read More

Posted in Mail from priests, Priests and Priesthood | Tagged
9 Comments

Your Good News

Do you have some good news to report?  We could use some. Here is some good news… well… it’s also bad news.  I guess it depends on your perspective. One Quarter of Ordinations in France Belong to the Tridentine Rite … Read More

Posted in Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries | Tagged , ,
16 Comments

ACTION ITEM! Birettas for Seminarians Project ONGOING!

¡Hagan lío! I had a nice note from a reader who met a seminarian recipient of one of your birettas. Here at Fr. Z’s Samizdat, for now I’ll anonymize this “In The Wild” pic.  It is just better that way, … Read More

Posted in ¡Hagan lío!, "How To..." - Practical Notes, ACTION ITEM!, In The Wild, Seminarians and Seminaries | Tagged ,
16 Comments

ASK FATHER: Bishops who forbid priests from saying Traditional Latin Mass

From a reader… QUAERITUR: I recently received a question concerning the Traditional Latin Mass. I was asked what can a priest do if his bishop stops him from celebrating the Traditional Latin Mass because he dislikes the TLM or disagrees … Read More

Posted in Canon Law, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Mail from priests, Priests and Priesthood, SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM | Tagged ,
10 Comments

ASK FATHER: Can a priest with little Latin say Mass validly?

From a reader… QUAERITUR: My Latin is not great will an ordinary form mass I celebrate in Latin be valid? Sure, Father, it would be valid. Language is a tricky thing.  There are almost always gaps in our comprehension of … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Latin, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM | Tagged , ,
15 Comments

GUEST POST: 10 years of ‘Summorum Pontificum’ and its effect on seminarians

A GUEST POST from a reader… I have been meaning to write this for a little while but the holiday gives me a time to reflect on several observations over the past weeks and several years. This in light of … Read More

Posted in Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Our Catholic Identity, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries, SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM |
17 Comments

ASK FATHER: How to support a seminarian assigned to our parish?

From a reader… QUAERITUR: Our parish has received a terrific seminarian this summer. He comes from a great background and his older brother is a priest so he seems to have a strong support at home. My question is how … Read More

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Priests and Priesthood, Seminarians and Seminaries | Tagged ,
7 Comments