Fr. Z's Blog | Formerly entitled: "What Does The Prayer Really Say?" – Clear, straight commentary on Catholic issues, liturgy and life by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf o{]:¬)

Catholic public figures and officials must RESIST! Some are resisting already.

Posted on 1 July 2015 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

The other day I posted the 2003 document from the CDF Observations about important CDF document on “Legal Recognition to Unions Between Homosexual Persons”. In that document we read…

“In those situations where homosexual unions have been legally recognized or have been given the legal status and rights belonging to marriage, clear and emphatic opposition is a duty. … If all Catholics are obliged to oppose the legal recognition of homosexual unions, Catholic politicians are obliged to do so in a particular way, in keeping with their responsibility as politicians.” CDF 2003 and HERE

Now I read that a clerk in Texas has refused to issue marriage licenses to homosexual couples and that the Texas AG has backed up the refusal.

Clerks have rights too, for example, the right not to be forced to violate their religious values and consciences.

The office of Bp. Thomas Tobin of Providence sent me this statement, to add to the other statements of bishops which are being released:

Bishop Tobin Encourages Conscientious Objection in Response to the Supreme Court Decision on Same-Sex Marriage:

Bishop Tobin stated that he wanted to offer support and encouragement to those who are deeply troubled by the ruling. On a posting on his Facebook page, Bishop Tobin wrote….

A county clerk in Hood Texas isn’t going to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples because, she said, she has rights too. “I will not be issuing same sex marriage licenses due to my religious convictions,” Katie Lang wrote. Lang said that the Constitution guarantees her freedom of religion too. (CNN)
Congratulations to Ms. Lang for her courageous stand! We need many more conscientious objectors – public officials, private businesses, advertisers, religious leaders, and family members – people of courage who will abide by their conscience, protect their religious rights, and not support or enable the furtherance of this moral aberration – so called, “same-sex marriage.”
As the American Bishops said, “the Supreme Court decision allowing “same-sex marriage” is “a tragic error that harms the common good.” Catholics, and other citizens of goodwill, should oppose this misdirected innovation and steadfastly proclaim the unchanging truth about marriage as we have received it from God!

Fr. Z kudos all around.

We must resist.

Posted in Be The Maquis, Hard-Identity Catholicism, One Man & One Woman, Our Catholic Identity, SCOTUS, Sin That Cries To Heaven | Tagged Bp. Tobin, D. Providence, homosexualist agenda, Obergefell v. Hodges, same-sex marriage, SCOTUS
21 Comments

1 July: St. Aaron, brother of Moses

Posted on 1 July 2015 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Some people may not realize that many great figures of the Old Testament are considered saints and are listed in the Roman Martyrology.

1 July, is the feast of St. Aaron, the brother of Moses (also a saint).

Here is his entry in the 2005 Martyrologium Romanum:

1. Commemoratio sancti Aaron, de tribu Levi, qui a Moyse fratre oleo sacro unctus est sacerdos Veteris Testamenti et in monte Hor depositus.

Who wants to translate this for the readers?

Posted in Saints: Stories & Symbols | Tagged Aaron
2 Comments

Chapel by chapel: Corpus Christi, London – Lady Chapel Restored

Posted on 1 July 2015 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Every once in a while I have posted updates about the restoration going on at Corpus Christi Church in Maiden Lane, London, near Covent Garden. This is the “actors Church” in London and it is also where the traditional form of Holy Mass has been preserved since the time of Cardinal Heenan.

The parish priest, Fr. Robinson, sent me a photo of their restored Lady Chapel. It’s beautiful!

There is in these USA a 501(c)(3) way to donate for the restoration project! Check out the American Foundation for Catholics, “an independent American non profit organisation and it has been established to accept donations of $50 or more from American taxpayers and to make grants to Catholic parishes (and other Catholic causes) in the UK.” HERE

I look forward to my next trip to London when I will see it in person.

UPDATE:

Father sent a couple more photos.

Please note, everyone, the presence of charts, altar cards, and the missal is on the Epistle side.

Posted in Brick by Brick, Just Too Cool, Mail from priests | Tagged Archd. Westminster, Maiden Lane
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Compare and Contrast: An Archbishop’s statement about Obergefell v. Hodges

Posted on 30 June 2015 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

His Excellency Most Reverend Alexander Sample, Archbishop of Portland, issued a statement about SCOTUS’s pathetic same-sex “marriage” decision. HERE

‘Simply wrong’
Archbishop Alexander Sample responds to decision by Supreme Court legalizing same-sex “marriage”

I am deeply saddened by the narrow majority decision of the Supreme Court requiring all states to license and recognize same-sex “marriage.” It is indeed a tragic ruling that will negatively affect the common good of our society, especially the future generations of children. The Court is simply wrong, as the minority opinions state. Our Constitution does not require states to redefine marriage. A Court ruling cannot make what is intrinsically false to be somehow true. Marriage, by its very nature, can only be between one man and one woman. No human decision can trump the natural law which is inscribed in the very nature of man and woman as we come from the hand of the Creator.

Just as the Roe vs. Wade decision did not end the debate over the right to life of the unborn, so this decision by the Supreme Court will not silence those of us who will continue to advocate for a just and proper understanding of the very nature of marriage itself based on the natural differentiation of the sexes.

I am especially concerned with the impact that this decision will have on children. Marriage is the one institution that connects children to both their mothers and fathers. All children have the natural right to know their mothers and fathers wherever and whenever possible. This disturbing ruling will make that much more difficult for future generations of children. For them, it is an injustice.

I am deeply concerned that this ruling will have a chilling effect on the protection of the religious rights and liberties enjoyed by citizens of this great land. It is not at all unreasonable to think that those who will uphold the true nature of marriage as between one man and one woman are going to be in for very difficult days ahead.

As I stated when same-sex “marriage” became legal in the State of Oregon:

“From the beginning, our efforts to prevent this from happening were never about demeaning or attacking the dignity of persons who happen to be homosexual. Their dignity as human persons must never be called into question or denied. This has always been about upholding and protecting the unique institution in our society that we call marriage.”

We will move forward with hope and determination to protect and honor the sacred institution of marriage as given to us from our Creator. For us, marriage can and will always be what it is, i.e. the union of one man and one woman. We will pray for all those negatively impacted by this decision, especially children. May God help us, and may God bless America.

Compare and contrast with the statements of other US bishops.

If you wish, you may post the statements – with links – of other US bishops below… without personal observations. If you editorialize, I’ll delete it.

UPDATE: People have posted statements WITHOUT links to the statements. I will now delete entries that don’t include a link.

Posted in One Man & One Woman, Our Catholic Identity | Tagged Archbp. Sample, Obergefell v. Hodges, SCOTUS
67 Comments

Congratulations Card. Burke: Happy Birthday and 40 years of priesthood!

Posted on 30 June 2015 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Today is Cardinal Burke’s 67th Birthday! Ad multos annos!

___

Originally Published on: Jun 29, 2015 @ 12:16

Today is His Eminence Raymond Card. Burke’s 40th anniversary of ordination to the sacred priesthood. He was, I believe, ordained by Paul VI.

That was a good day for the Church.

Card. Burke is one of the kindest men alive and a great scholar of Holy Church’s law.

I am sure that all of you will stop, right now, and say a prayer for him.

Tomorrow, in Rome, His Eminence will celebrate Holy Mass at S. M. in Cosmedin. The Mass will start at 4:30 PM: Novus Ordo, in Latin.

Hearty congratulations to Cardinal Burke!

Click for the story!

Ad multos annos!

Posted in Fr. Z KUDOS | Tagged Card. Burke
21 Comments

A Blog Bug squashed: SITEMETER compromised, malware

Posted on 30 June 2015 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Bloggers… you should also pay attention.

Some of you have reported, when coming to this blog, the odd phenomenon of being redirected to some odd page elsewhere in these interwebs. It is a rare phenomenon, but troubling.

Some of you have reported, and I have seen it myself and have worked to extirpate it, seeing x.vindicosuite.com when pages load.

I think the problem has been tracked down.

For years I have used Sitemeter as a way to keep statistics here, for visits, page load, return visits, etc. It seems that Sitemeter itself is compromised. Lately I have been having some problems with Sitemeter. Some days stats are counted, other days they are not. The meter that is supposed to appear on this blog with visit counts works or doesn’t work. For days at a time I can’t access my account.

Sitemeter stinks right now. You can’t even send a support request.

So, alas, I removed Sitemeter for the time being. Let’s see what difference that makes.

I don’t believe that any readers here would have been compromised by the Sitemeter problem.

Finally, I refer the readership to my Litany For The Conversion Of Internet Thugs.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes | Tagged malware, Sitemeter, x.vindicosuite.com
10 Comments

ACTION ITEM! Milwaukee Art Museum – Anti-Catholic offense! @MilwaukeeArt

Posted on 30 June 2015 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

You may have heard about the highly offensive move of the Milwaukee Art Museum. They displayed a “portrait” of Benedict XVI made from colored condoms. That’s just plain nasty.

The Vicar General of the Diocese of Madison, Msgr. James Bartylla, wrote a letter to the Museum. He shared it with me. I have his permission to share it with you. He also wrote:

[F]eel free to tell you readers that I encourage them to write to the Milwaukee Art Museum (mam@mam.org) to communicate their displeasure, with civility and respect (and with appropriate vigor and articulation), at this “artistic” display of such poor taste.

Here is his letter:

Dear Milwaukee Art Museum (cc: Communication Director – Archdiocese of Milwaukee),

As a priest of the Diocese of Madison, the decision by the Milwaukee Art Museum to acquire and prominently display a controversial portrait of His Holiness Benedict XVI fashioned from 17,000 colored condoms is very offensive to civility and decorum for the general public and is profoundly disrespectful and even blasphemous to the Catholic faithful.

If a piece were as offensive to other faith traditions or communities would it be equally tolerated by you?

I firmly stand behind Most Reverend Jerome Listecki, Archbishop of Milwaukee, in seeing your decision as insulting and callous. I was born and raised in Milwaukee. I want you to know that I will not attend the Milwaukee Art Museum, and I will advocate to others not to attend the museum and not to subscribe to memberships to the museum. I will advocate to others to notify you of their extreme displeasure at your poor decision.

If you remove this item not only from display but also from the collection of the Milwaukee Art Museum and do not forward it for public display or collection elsewhere, I will reconsider my decision in order to allow you a chance in justice to rectify your poor decision for the common good.

I await your reply.

Respectfully, Monsignor James Bartylla

Okay, folks… adopt this strategy and share on the interwebs. Let’s get something going.

Posted in ACTION ITEM!, Be The Maquis, Our Catholic Identity, Si vis pacem para bellum!, The Coming Storm, The Last Acceptable Prejudice | Tagged D. Madison, Milwaukee Art Museum
31 Comments

@MadisonDiocese: 1st Masses in the Extraordinary Form

Posted on 30 June 2015 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Here is some good news!

Six men were ordained for the Diocese of Madison this year. This relatively rural diocese has 35 men in formation! So much depends on the bishop.

Of the six men ordained this year, two of them celebrated their 1st Mass according to the Extraordinary Form!

On Saturday, I was in choro for the 1st Mass, a Solemn Mass, of one on the new priests.

Posted in SESSIUNCULA | Tagged 1st Mass
9 Comments

Jupiter and Venus are having a … conjunction! In plain sight!

Posted on 29 June 2015 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Jupiter and Venus are having a conjunction! In plain sight! No Obergefell v. Hodges for them, no sirree!

From SpaceWeather (and your own observation).

For the next few nights, the distance between the planets will continue to shrink. On June 30th they will be only 1/3rd of a degree apart–less than the diameter of the full Moon. If you have binoculars or a small telescope, point them at the planets. Both will fit in the same field of view, allowing you to see the fat crescent phase of Venus and the moons of Jupiter simultaneously. It’s a great way to end the day.

To find them, step outside just after sunset and look west. Don’t wait until the sky fades to black. A tight conjunction of Venus and Jupiter framed by twilight blue has a special beauty that you won’t want to miss.