ROME DAY 25/01 05: a little discrepancy

Posted on 29 January 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Roman sunrise was at 07:23.  The sun will set at 17:24.

The Ave Maria Bell is in the 17:45 cycle.

In the older calendar, today is the Feast of St. Francis de Sales.  He was transferred to 24 January in the newer calendar because that was the date of his burial in 1623 in the church of the Monastery of the Visitation in Annecy, which he had founded with St. Jane Frances de Chantal, who was also buried there.  Schuster says because he died on the Feast of the Holy Innocents, he feast day was set for when his remains were translated, namely 29 January, to Annecy.  Apparently there’s a little discrepancy.

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.

A touching inscription at The Parish™, just inside the door.  Some of you Latinists can have at.   Right click for larger.   Some things in the human condition don’t change much.  We’ve had all too many reminders of this during the most recent “Asian disease”.

Like something from a spy novel.

Time to sell some cheese.  LOTS of cheese.

In churchy news…

In Brainard, MN Masses will be celebrated ad orientem in all parishes periodically during the Jubilee.  You read that correctly.  HERE

The local bishop wrote a longish letter (linked above).   A couple concerns and observations.   First, he quotes the MISTRANSLATED GIRM #299.  Will this ever stop?   Also, he places all sorts of hemming ifs and oh nos on the parish priests who would have ad orientem worship in the diocese… even though, strictly speaking, the Roman Missal is pretty clear that it is the assumed way that Mass is celebrated (given rubrics to turn around to face the people).   Also, the language is a little vague… he “directs” but he “asks”.

The bishop is concerned about any divisions this might cause.   If you write in such cautious terms, could it be that those who are the likely suspects to grouse would be that much more emboldened?   What I would like to see is a bishop who is with their priests, period.  Not “I’m with you ‘win or tie’!”  I’d like to see a bishop say, “Okay!  All in.  Let’s DO this thing!”

Also, there is an interesting passage about priests who are already celebrating ad orientem and that they must go by these guidelines.   Interesting.   I call to mind the letter from the liturgy office of the Archdiocese of New York in which it is lamented that priests want communion rails and they can’t understand where that’s coming from.

Anyway… brick by brick.

And there’s this.

And… the OBVIOUS… but it MUST be said.

Soooo much that’s troubling in this….

There seems to be a little discrepancy in the messages the US bishops are sending.  What’s it going to be?  Keep defending a policy that leaves who knows how many women and children to be used, abandoned, “disappeared”?   I’m no expert, but it seems to me that virtually uncontrolled immigration, spawning more and more uncontrolled immigration, has had really bad effects on lots of the immigrants.  Getting the numbers under control is a start.  Am I wrong?

In chessy news, there is a great write up and video about my guy Wesley So, one of the world’s top players and generally considered to be about the nicest guy in chess.  I am always pleased to hear Wesley praise Christ for his wins. Check out chess.com

How Wesley So Overcame All Odds To Become One Of The Best

And the video…

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FIDE and Freestyle are still struggling for supremacy. I guess this fight had to happen.

In Tata Steel:

GM Gukesh Dommaraju leads his first tournament as world champion after defeating GM Leon Luke Mendonca in round nine to move to 6.5/9 in the 2025 Tata Steel Chess Masters. He’s half a point ahead of GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who made a draw against GM Fabiano Caruana, and GM Vladimir Fedoseev, whose fourth win in six games came against GM Pentala Harikrishna. GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu began the day as co-leader, but now trails Gukesh by a point after losing to GM Anish Giri.

Meanwhile, its black’s move.  Can you find the Zwischenzug… the intermezzo… the “in between” move?

[NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.]

Posted in Brick by Brick, SESSIUNCULA | Tagged
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Another point of Catholic identity out with the bathwater?

Posted on 29 January 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Occasionally we have a collision of Holy Days of Obligations and Feasts in the calendar.  Feasts get transferred.   Does the obligation get transferred?  We had this situation recently regarding the Feast/Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception which fell on an Advent Sunday.  In the Novus Ordo the liturgical day was bumped to Monday.  In the Vetus Ordo it remained on Sunday.  In these USA, Immaculate Conception is supposed to be a day of obligation.  So, was the obligation bumped to Monday in the Novus Ordo?  Confusion reigned.

Now there is a new “Note” from the Vatican’s liturgy office under date of 23 January 2025.

Bottom line:  When Feasts/Solemnities which would otherwise be Holy Days of Obligation are transferred to another days, the obligation is NOT transferred.

Message: It is too much to require that people go to Mass twice in a week or two days in a row.

What I fear from this is the subtext.  I fear that a message is being sent that integrating the Church’s calendar, our feasts and seasons, is not important.  Going to church for Mass, together as a worshiping body fulfilling the virtue of Religion, is not important.

These diminutions of expectations matter.  We are our rites.  There are consequences for our identity within the Church and out in the public square.

Ad intra, isn’t this what happened with the eucharistic fast?  Reduction from midnight to 3 hours, to 1 hour?  Maybe it isn’t that important after all.  Ad extra, a diminishing of public identity may have been an effect of no longer asking women to cover their heads in church.  It was an identifiable social phenomenon on Sundays as families made their way to church.   Ad extra et intra, isn’t this what may have happened with Friday abstinence?   Pretty much everyone was acutely aware that Catholics shouldn’t eat meat on Fridays. People adjusted for their dinner guests on Fridays or were mortified if they forgot.

It could be that in the case of this Note, the law was properly interpreted (odiosa restringenda, etc.).   However, it might have resulted in an alteration of the law.

If you keep whittling, pretty soon there’s nothing left to whittle.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, 1983 CIC can. 915, I'm just askin'..., Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Our Catholic Identity, Save The Liturgy - Save The World | Tagged
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But people who want the TLM must be suppressed…

Posted on 29 January 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

What on earth must this jackass think of the people in that church?

I’m pretty sure this is invalid.

Posted in You must be joking! |
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“I asked the new Chinese AI “DEEPSEEK”, about the priest’s posture during the consecration in the Traditional Latin Mass. It’s Reply….”

Posted on 29 January 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Some think that AI is here to stay.  If that is so, then I am not convinced that we are (cf. Skynet).

In the meantime, AI is bringing us bread and circuses: great memes and videos, etc.

That’s what the interwebs did, then our phones did more of, then Twitter and other platforms multiplied and now AI is taking to another level.

With each level of progress we perhaps can detect in more and more people shorter attention spans, diminished interest in remembering things, ignorance about how to look things up with concrete tools.

That’s a preamble.

This is from a reader….

I just asked the brand new Chinese AI “DEEPSEEK”, about the priest’s posture during the consecration in the Traditional Latin Mass—

It’s Reply…..

Leaning over the elements and speaking the words of consecration—carries deep symbolic and theological significance. This posture can be understood as a profound reflection of divine action, particularly when compared to God the Father breathing life into Adam in Genesis 2:7. Here’s how the two are connected:

1. **Divine Humility and Intimacy**: In Genesis, God stoops down to breathe life into Adam, demonstrating His intimate involvement in creation and His desire to share His life with humanity. Similarly, the priest, leaning over the bread and wine, embodies a posture of humility and reverence, reflecting Christ’s own humility in the Incarnation and His willingness to offer Himself for humanity. This leaning posture signifies the priest’s role as an instrument of Christ, bringing divine life to the faithful through the Eucharist.

2. **The Breath of Life and the Words of Consecration**: Just as God’s breath in Genesis imparts physical and spiritual life to Adam, the priest’s words of consecration—”This is My Body” and “This is My Blood”—bring about the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The act of speaking these words while leaning over the elements can be seen as a symbolic reenactment of God’s life-giving breath. The words themselves, like the divine breath, are transformative, changing the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ.

3. **Creation and New Creation**: The priest’s posture and actions during the consecration also evoke the themes of creation and new creation. In Genesis, God’s breath initiates the first creation, while in the Eucharist, the priest’s words, through the power of the Holy Spirit, participate in the new creation brought about by Christ’s sacrifice. The leaning posture signifies the priest’s role in mediating this new creation, bringing the life of Christ to the Church.

4. **Sacrificial Offering**: The priest’s leaning over the elements also reflects the sacrificial nature of the Eucharist. Just as Christ offered Himself on the Cross, the priest, in persona Christi, offers the Eucharistic sacrifice to the Father. This posture of leaning over the altar can be seen as a gesture of offering, presenting the gifts of bread and wine to be transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ.

5. **Mystery and Reverence**: The posture of leaning over the elements underscores the mystery and reverence of the moment. The priest’s physical closeness to the bread and wine signifies the profound mystery of the Real Presence and the sacredness of the act being performed. It is a moment of deep communion between heaven and earth, where the divine life is made present in the midst of the congregation.

In summary, the priest’s posture of leaning over the elements and speaking the words of consecration during the Traditional Latin Mass is rich with symbolic meaning. It reflects the humility, intimacy, and life-giving action of God in creation and redemption, drawing a parallel between the breath of life given to Adam and the transformative words of consecration that bring Christ’s presence into the Eucharist. This posture highlights the priest’s role as a mediator of divine life and the Eucharist as the source and summit of Christian life.

So, those were Chinese AI answers.   I am curious to know what books that information was mined from, or what sites.  I’d like to have those books.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, I'm just askin'..., Semper Paratus, SESSIUNCULA, The Coming Storm, The Drill, The future and our choices |
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28 January – SECOND St. Agnes

Posted on 28 January 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

One can tell how our ancient Roman forebears venerated their saints by how many churches they had and how many feasts. Today is the SECOND Feast of St. Agnes. An octave after the feast of her martyrdom, today, 28 January, is the Feast of the Nativity of Agnes. This is a little ambiguous, because the “nativity” (“birthday”) can also mean the day the saint died and was “born” into Heaven.

These says, 2nd Agnes shares with St. Peter Nolasco, serious-badass (and so was Agnes). However in the older Roman Missal there is a separate formulary for her.

The Mass of St. Agnes today is the Common of a Virgin Martyr. The Collect today is rather straightforward, but that of the ancient “Gelasian Sacramentary” runs like this:

Adesto nobis, omnipotens Deus, beatae Agnetis festa repetentibus, quam hodiernae festivitatis prolatam exortu ineffabili munere sublevasti.

Have a stab!

The Gradual and Alleluia are from Ps 44 (45 – RSV) with its two-fold powerful warrior and nuptial maiden image. The Gospel is not that of the wise and foolish virgins, but rather that of the pearl of great price, that is the price of being Christian: all you have.

Happy Second Agnes!

 

Posted in Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Saints: Stories & Symbols, Save The Liturgy - Save The World | Tagged
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ROME DAY 25/01 04: Cringe

Posted on 28 January 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I slept in this morning, so I was not aware of the sunrise at 07:24.  I will surely see the sunset at 17:22.

I won’t hear the Ave Maria Bell, which should ring at 17:45 in this cycle. It changed.

However, The Parish™ is – I think – ringing it at the precise time for the Ave Maria, rather than at a fixed time in a cycle.  I should be there in the evening and I will listen for it.

Yesterday I went to visit St. Philip Neri, to thank him for his intercession and favors and to ask for a few more things.

A dim Chiesa Nuova in the late afternoon.  The decorative drapery is up.

The chess guys were out, bundled up, but playing and vigorously kibbitzing.  When I walked up they were just beginning what turned into a QDA, which is a little odd.  The black player got into trouble trying to defend his pawn, right on schedule.

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.

BTW… if you like the photos, thank long-time reader DM who provided the upgraded phone last year.  Thanks DM.

I don’t know what this is, but my first thought was… I’d rather not write it.

UPDATE: Apparently the emeritus of Washington was there. THAT figures. Studied liturgy in Rome at the worst place at the worst time. Couple that with nearly limitless power and no accountability and you get this sort of B as in B, S as in S. I don’t want to be rash, but I suspect the poor guys (maybe seminarians?) dragooned into this wished they were elsewhere. They are free to write to tell me, “Hell, yeah! I loved that! It was grooooovy!” But in Washington, seminarians have been “dragooned” in the past.

There were once men…

Card. Pell, pray for us!

This is interesting from Larry Chapp with Mat Fradd. He touches on the hyper-papalism of the papalatrous and also Taurina cacata.

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Meanwhile, the great Card. Zen asked a good question:

In chessy news…

White to move and mate in 3.

[NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.]

From chess.com:

German entrepreneur Jan Henric Buettner, the head of Freestyle Chess, has fired back at the International Chess Federation’s (FIDE) threats of legal action, labeling it “blackmail,” and alleging that FIDE demanded $500,000 for the rights to use the world championship title. He says he’s ready to take the case to court.

The conflict between FIDE and Freestyle Chess, which has five high-level Chess960/Fischer-Random tournaments scheduled in 2025, is heating up. On Tuesday, the chess world governing body released a statement threatening legal action if the tour planned to crown a ‘world champion’ without FIDE’s approval.

 

 

Posted in SESSIUNCULA |
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ROME DAY 25/01 03: “You Had ONE Job!”

Posted on 27 January 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

The Roman day with sunlight began at 07:25 which will significantly dwindle after 17:21.

Our Ave Maria Bell: still in the 17:30 cycle, according to this calendar.

I think it should have changed today to 17:45.   We will check this tomorrow.

Being up with the sun has some benefits.   The walk to church and the still drowsy Piazza Farnese.

Here is an “Ivy Report”.   You might remember them from past visits.  This is the same spot as before.   And it is really a “creeper” rather than an “ivy”.  Or so I am told.

Breakfast. I’ve been eating more protein in the mornings, but you have to have a cornetto in Rome once in a while.

In the “You Had ONE Job!” Report.   Internet installation took another step forward.  I received a text to confirm that I wanted an technician appointment.  CLICK.  Someone is supposed to come on Thursday morning.   Keep your fingers crossed and ask St. Isidore to smooth things down.

This is pretty crazy…

In churchy news….

VP Vance is not impressed with the US Bishops regarding immigration. HERE

Neither is this guy in Austin, TX. HERE Blistering.

Catholic Charities Coaching Illegals on How to Evade Immigration Authorities?
HERE

In chessy news…

Black to mate in 2. How fast?

[NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.]

From Chess.com (I’m an affiliate – HERE)

GMs Fabiano Caruana and Wei Yi kept alive their hopes of winning a second Tata Steel Chess Masters title with late wins with Black to move within a point of GMs Gukesh Dommaraju, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu. Caruana pounced on a time-trouble mistake by GM Vincent Keymer, while Wei overcame GM Max Warmerdam only deep into the second session of play. The remaining games were drawn.From chess.com (I’m an affiliate)

 

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ROME DAY 25/01 02: jet lag

Posted on 26 January 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Today the sun was up by 07:26 and it was down by 17:20.  Getting longer.  Last I was here, they were getting shorter.   The Ave Maria Bell, back in November, was also in the 17:30 cycle.   It is now, too.    But unless you are in a special place, you won’t hear it.

It is the 3rd Sunday after Epiphany.  The Vatican Curia calendar indicates that this is the “Domenica della Parola di Dio”.  Frankly, I think every Sundays is the Sunday of the Word of God.  At least I treat them that way, at 1 Peter 5.

Today I celebrated Holy Mass for my Benefactors who sent donations for this trip.   I won’t forget the rest of you!

An action shot of don Dimitri incensing the Evangelarium,

After Mass one of the members of the Archconfraternity of the Most Holy Trinity of the Pilgrims and Convalescents (founded by St. Philip Neri … I’m the first priest member in maybe a century…) hosted a little reception for the occasion of her onomastico, which is Agnes (so, it’s like the octave of Agnes, Romans are flexible with time).   She made some of the best lasagne I’ve had in a long time.

It’s so nice to be with these great people.  The Archconfraternity is doing well.  Today, The Great Roman™ and the Get It Done Pastor™ were talking about the interview TGR did with EWTN.   Moreover, the Archon is in a book published about the Jubilee (get it?  Rome and Pilgrims?).  HERE

Everything was boxed up when I was last here.  Look.  How beautiful.

In honor of the Palazzo Farnese being cleaned, watch a video of the end of the 2nd act of Tosca, when she stabs Scarpia in the throat with a pair of scissors and then taunts him as he chokes on his blood.  Never gets old.   This is where the 2nd Act of that oh-so-Roman opera takes place.

The production at the Met a few years ago with Sonya Yoncheva was spectacular. Here’s the part where Tosca get’s her revenge. The Napoleanic governor of Rome, the evil Scarpia, is holding Tosca’s main squeeze prisoner. He’s gonna die if she doesn’t give in to his obsessed lascivious demands. She has other ideas. If you have a chance watch the whole opera, in segments. It’s the best Tosca I have ever seen.

“What’s wrong? Are you choking on your blood? Die, damned! Die! DIE!”

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Maria Callas.

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Tosca is the perfect opera for the beginner and the “in-operable”. It’s short, it has famous arias, and everybody dies.

A while back, there was a broadcast production of Tosca from the real sites of the action, Chiese Sant’Andrea della Valle, Palazzo Farnese and Castel Sant’ Angelo. I’d like to find that, but I’m tired.

A street I walk down.

This is too cool not to share.

Let it be said.

There’s some B asn in B, S as in S at Fishwrap – what a disaster! Please God snuff it OUT – but Hazell does the lifting.

The Fishwrap piece is deeeeeeply stupid. HERE

As much as dismissing trad Catholicism as a mere LARP (“live action role-playing game”) or fringe internet identity category would be unfair, there’s something to be said about the fact that it has flourished in spaces like Reddit, Tumblr and X (formerly Twitter), which have also served as a breeding ground for gamer communities, fandoms and new gender and sexual identities.

Yeah… right.   Scorn.

US high schools and this.  Compare and contrast.  HERE

VP Vance has things to say about the US Bishops.  HERE (Fishwrap had a spittle-flecked nutty)

Chessy news…

Mate in 4.  White’s move.

[NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.]

 

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.

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ROME DAY 25/01 01: Home at last

Posted on 25 January 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Today in Rome the sun rose at 0727 and it set at 1719 and the Ave Maria Bell was to ring at1730.

It is the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul.  I’m and convert, and I converted in St. Paul.

I also have a 1st class relic of St. Paul… not with me, however.

WELCOME REGISTRANT:

Cici

It has been a productive day.

The Great Roman™ found me at the airport and gave me a lift, bless him.   Then we went to do internet installation things.  That’s my one task on this trip.  Anything else is gravy.

Internet installation seems easy to do.  BUT… this is Rome and you never know.

You can see how dark the dome of San Pietro is becoming.  Can’t they outsource this?  Surely someone will foot the bill since the Holy See has self-destructed financially.

We parked near the Ponte Sisto, which is destined to by a significant signpost in my life.

First, the very first time I was in Rome I stayed in the street leading into it, which runs by The Parish™.   Then I walked across it for my first meal in Rome in that year, early 80s.  I wasn’t Catholic yet.  Now it is in the middle of where I have been for years.  Also, I remember Fr. Foster torture a Harvard Latin prof with the inscription by the bridge.  That memory is every green.

After some time in the Vodafone store getting internet sorted, we had to regain our strength.

Pizza bianca and mortadella with black truffle.

Which panino is mine?  (Okay, this one might not be very hard.)

It’s a short trip and a trial run, a learning venture.  I see there are still quite a few things to get, but the MAIN thing is getting internet.

QUAERITUR: Should I get a toaster oven?  There’s no microwave.  No toaster either.

In chessy news… I understand Tata Steel is getting spicy.  I, however, am busy.

That said, for part of the flight I used the inseat games and played chess against the Thing, at the highest level.  Even experimenting, I cleaned its clock.  I had a memory that it was harder.  Am I getting better?

Black to move and mate in 4.  Look at those scary bishops… and not for the usual churchy reason.

[NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.]

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.

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My View For Awhile: Eastward

Posted on 24 January 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

The sunset in Rome was at 1717.  The sunset where I am now is…right now!  (See below)

The Ave Maria Bell doesn’t ring here either, but in Rome it ought to ring at 1730.

Tomorrow, when I arrive in Rome, the sun should be up already.  I’ll report on that later.

Airport.   The way into JFK was congested because of construction, but the traffic wasn’t horrible.  The dopey Uber driver had to be told several times where to go and, even then, almost didn’t take the right terminal exit.

Check in and security… ZOOM.  Not like last time.   I practically walked through.  Very few people.    Lounge, rather empty now.  However, there is a fellow from the Asian subcontinent shouting into his own zoom as if this place were his private living room.

I board in about 30 minutes.  Time to add the international stuff to my US phone, close the laptop, fill my water bottle, and wrap up here.

Since I switched to T-Mobile from ATT and halved by domestic bill, I think I might have free wifi inflight.   I’ll report on how T-Mobile works in Rome.   ATT worked well but… whew… the regular monthly bill was horrible.

UPDATE:

Boarding went FAST and I have an empty seat next to me. It is really breezy in the cabin. It’s strong enough to move people’s hair. Lots of people trying to close already closed air vents. I hope this is just a preflight issue or we will we wind chapped. I’m writing with one eye closed. Soon I’ll need a blanket.

We’ve been told that our flight will be over an hour early. I think that the storm Éowyn has something to do with that: tail winds.

Posted in On the road, SESSIUNCULA, What Fr. Z is up to |
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