Fr. Z's Blog | Catholic commentary by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

BELATED: 3rd Anniversary of Election of Pope Francis

Posted on 14 March 2016 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

One of you readers – only one – seemed perplexed that I mentioned the 3rd anniversary of Pope Benedict announcing his resignation and the 3rd anniversary of the actual abdication of the papacy, but I didn’t write about the 3rd anniversary of the election of Pope Francis!

Apart from the fact that, yesterday – being Sunday – was a work day for me and that, after the morning duties, I had flights to catch and airports to ‘enjoy’ and that I was posting from my phone… I just didn’t get to it.

Frankly, the news of the abdication of a Pope is of far more importance in the history of the Church than the election of a Pope.

Popes are elected all the time. It rare indeed that a Pope resigns. The closing of the pontificate (parenthesis) of Benedict merits special attention in my book. Pray for Benedict.

So, just to assuage the sensibilities of those concerned about the 3rd anniversary of the election of Pope Francis, here’s a screenshot from the FNC Latino coverage I saw.

I think Francis would have been amused.

Happy anniversary, Pope Francis. You have the prayers of many.

Posted in Benedict XVI, Events, Francis, Lighter fare | Tagged Benedict XVI, Benedict XVI's resignation, papal election, Pope Francis
11 Comments

Pi Day!

Posted on 14 March 2016 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

One of our priest readers wrote to remind me that today is

π DAY!

Happy ? Day, everyone.

How will you celebrate this august occasion?

BTW.. it isn’t as ?-y as last year, 2015. This year we have to round up to get the 16.

Posted in Events, Lighter fare | Tagged Pi Day
5 Comments

Card. Napier, 75, submitted his resignation

Posted on 14 March 2016 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From IOL in S. Africa we learn that the Archbishop of Durban, Wilfrid Fox Card. Napier, upon turning 75 years old, as per Canon Law submitted his formal resignation to the Roman Pontiff. HERE

As you will recall, Card. Napier was voice of clarity and a great opponent of the machinations that took place and attempts to rig the last two Synods of Bishops.

It is up to the Pontiff to accept the resignation or not, keep him on or not, replace him quickly or not.

The speed with which he is replaced might tell us something… or not. It is hard to replace bishops of important sees with good men.

Right now, it seems that Card. Napier is still in place.

He can vote in a conclave to replace Pope Francis until he is 80.

There has not been a consistory for the creation of new Cardinals for some time now. That will be huge.

Posted in 1983 CIC can. 915 | Tagged Card. Napier, resignation
8 Comments

Your Sunday Sermon Notes

Posted on 13 March 2016 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Was there a good point, or two, in the sermon you heard when you fulfilled your Mass obligation for this Sunday?

Let us know

Posted in SESSIUNCULA |
12 Comments

ASK FATHER and OLDIE PRAYERCAzT: The Passion of St. Matthew sung in Latin

Posted on 13 March 2016 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I had a panicked email from a seemingly desperate cleric who is to sing the St. Matthew Passion for Palm Sunday. I am glad that he wrote today instead of next Saturday! He wanted help with the tone.

As if I have time to record the whole Passion from St. Matthew and post it here! Sheesh!

No… wait…

I did record the whole St. Matthew Passion and post it here! Years ago, in 2008, in my PRAYERCAzT project, which has lain dormant for a while.

Once upon a time, I was regularly recording short podcasts to help priests new to all this singing in Latin thing get the tones and Latin into their ears.

My podcast for the Palm Sunday Passion has a longish intro of beautifully sung chant from the Mass, but I get into the 30+ minute text soon enough.

Here, Father! For you! And good luck with the singing.

Do you need the notation? HERE

BTW… I mention the special tone for the part of the Passion excluded from the 1962 Missale. I have for years now improvised the last part, after the genuflection and silence, in the old tone. It works just fine and it is permitted. In my recording, I included the excluded part, lest we lose the sound and memory of that beautiful tone for the Passion.

021 08-03-11 Palm Sunday – Passion of St. Matthew (sung)

And for good measure… before someone asks.

023 08-03-18 Passion of St. John (Good Friday – 1962 Missale Romanum)

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, LENTCAzT, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Mail from priests, PODCAzT, PRAYERCAzT: What Does The (Latin) Prayer Really Sound L | Tagged Palm Sunday, St. Matthew Passion
7 Comments

My View For Awhile: Orange Juice Edition

Posted on 13 March 2016 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I’m off!

I have a couple speaking gigs and a mother to visit. Hopefully weather will cooperate!

Playlist for the first leg: 13 Hours in Benghazi.

UPDATE

Chic-Fil-A closed on Sunday, as usual. But there is a good burger place across the way.

This is clever. I’m not sure if the rolling luggage has these extensions for another bag or for a kid! They were keeping up with mom just fine.

Ah, the glories of the lounge.

UPDATE:

A fellow just asked for prayers for his sister Sue who has stage-4 pancreatic cancer.

Please stop and say a prayer her and her family.

UPDATE:

Speaking of my view for a while, this wasn’t my view, but that of someone during Holy Mass this morning.

For the life of me I can’t figure out why everyone sits on the Gospel side of church, unless it is … I dunno. The Gospel side is packed and the Epistle side has a few individuals until you get to the back, then the pews are full. Did the ceiling cave in there once? “Come early and get a seat in back!” In any event, this appears to be just after Holy Communion, given that the housling cloth is in play.

UPDATE

Playlist for 2nd leg.

UPDATE

As I listen to “Rejoice! Rejoice! We have no choice”, I squeeze into the laughably mislabeled Delta Comfort+ seat. Good grief.

It may be the narrowest seat I’ve been in since the last narrowest seat I’ve been in.

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

POLL: Covering images for 1st Passion Sunday, 5th Sunday of Lent

Posted on 12 March 2016 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

We are really getting into it now.

From this Sunday, traditionally called 1st Sunday of the Passion, it is customary to veil images in churches. In the Gospel in traditional Form of the Roman Rite we hear:

Tulérunt ergo lápides, ut iácerent in eum: Iesus autem abscóndit se, et exívit de templo. … They therefore took up stones to cast at Him; but Jesus hid Himself, and went out from the temple.

What is going on where you are?

This is a fine old tradition. It has to do with deprivation of the senses and the liturgical dying of the Church in preparation for the Lord’s tomb and resurrection. We do this to sense something of the humiliation of the Lord as he enters His Passion, something of His interior suffering.

We are also being pruned during Lent. From Septuagesima onward we lose things bit by bit in the Church’s sacred liturgy until, at the Vigil, we are even deprived of light itself. The Church is liturgically dying.

We are our rites.

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UPDATE:

My friends at Holy Innocents in Manhattan have their act together. They also have a LOT of statues and images to veil!

Here’s an action shot of the veiling of St. Jude.

Veiling statues for Passiontide (March 12, 2016) at the Church of the Holy Innocents, NYC.

Walk into that church today and you’ll see purple.

More photos from Holy Innocents HERE.

Holy Innocents has a daily news email. I’m not sure how you subscribe, but I’ll be someone here knows.

UPDATE

St Mary’s in Pine Bluff, WI

Posted in LENT, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, POLLS, WDTPRS | Tagged Passion Sunday, veil images
30 Comments

ASK FATHER: Communion in the hand being forced for daughter’s 1st Communion

Posted on 12 March 2016 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader…

Before it didn’t seem like it would be an issue but eldest daughter (9yo in 3rd grade at this school though most of the archdiocese does it in 2nd), is basically going to be forced to have communion in hand. At first, was told they would check, etc etc but came down that it won’t be optional.

I’m contemplating taking her to the FSSP instead. I believe it’s law that all Catholics have the option to receive, not the person
distributing, which seems to be backed up by the USCCB.

It doesn’t seem that the discipline of children should be any different. Even though a new experience, every Communion should be as reverently as possible.

You are within your rights to go to the FSSP chapel or church. Make sure you work things out with the pastor or rector there. Do this above board. Don’t sneak. It could be that, in the process, something might be worked out.

You are the primary educator and faith formation giver to your children. Your wishes should carry great weight in this decision. If you are not being respected, you can go elsewhere.

The Church’s law guarantees that Catholics may receive Communion on the tongue (Redemptionis Sacramentum 92). Communion in the hand is the exception that requires special permission, not the other way around. Permission is given in so widespread a way that some people think that it is the normal way.

Keep in mind that you live in the boundary of a parish. You should support your parish even as you support an FSSP chapel which you frequent. Your support can be proportional, of course. If you go to the local parish rarely, your support might be much less than that which you give to the FSSP church.

Make sure that you help your child understand how joyful it is to receive Communion, as well as awesome.

Posted in SESSIUNCULA | Tagged 1st Communion, Communion in the hand, parish boundaries, parish membership
34 Comments

ACTION ITEM! Petition Jesuits to abort big-business abortion leader Cecile Richards invitation!

Posted on 12 March 2016 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From CNS comes this notice about a petition.

Jesuit-run (who else) Georgetown University – which covered up the Holy Name when the pro-abortion, anti-freedom POTUS Obama visited – has invited big-business abortion tycoon Cecile Richards, CEO of abortion-industry leader Planned Parenthood.

The Newman Society is calling on Georgetown to formally rescind the invitation to Richards, and restore its Catholic identity and fidelity, “which have been diminished and even scorned in recent decades.”

The petition, which can be signed at www.GeorgetownScandal.com reads:

I join with The Cardinal Newman Society and faithful Catholics in calling on Georgetown University to uphold its Catholic identity and commitment to human dignity by rescinding the Lecture Fund’s invitation to Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards to speak on campus in April.

The Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) is America’s leading agent of the culture of death, promoting and selling abortion and contraception and even selling the parts of aborted babies. As the chief executive of PPFA and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Richards formally cooperates in these activities and promotes positions and activism that directly contradict Catholic teaching on the dignity of human life and on human sexuality. According to PPFA’s records of “abortion services” disclosed in annual reports, Richards has overseen the deaths of more than 2.8 million babies since taking charge of the organization in 2006.

It is shameful that Georgetown University would defend the Lecture Fund’s invitation to this horrific speaker. There is no academic freedom that can justify the willful denial of basic truths and advocacy for gruesome crimes against humanity.

We call on Georgetown University to restore the Catholic identity and fidelity that once were the foundation of America’s oldest Catholic university, but which have been diminished and even scorned in recent decades. May Georgetown once again be a beacon of light for students seeking truth in the Light of Christ.

Read all about the event at CNS.