I always enjoy photos people send of Z-Swag out there “in the wild”. Here is a “Lockstep Sheep and Papist Throwbacks” mug in use.
Here is a note from a reader:
As per your request for more WDTPRS mugs in use, I snapped this photo of the Lockstep Sheep mug accompanied by a robot tea infuser. I use them together to remind me what a thoughtless automaton I am. ;-)
To get one of these (and many other things, too) click HERE.
Can we forget the puppets? Ever?
I was sent something from the California Catholic Daily about a member of parish liturgy committee who participated in a fake and sacrilegious “ordination” by Roman Catholic Womenpriests. My emphases:
A member of the liturgy committee at a San Francisco parish was “ordained a deacon” on Saturday, June 23, according to the website of Roman Catholic Womenpriests. Participants in such sham ceremonies are automatically excommunicated, but the group has repeatedly rejected the ruling of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on the subject.
The event took place at Trinity Episcopal Church in San Francisco, where Olivia Doko, “bishop” of the Western Region of Roman Catholic Womenpriests, “ordained” Maria Eitz.
[…]
When these things come up, we tend to focus on the internal Catholic reaction and on the deluded women who are into this stuff.
We must consider questions both ad intra and also ad extra.
We have to also pay attention to the Protestants who host them.
Look. We either take ecumenism seriously or we don’t. If we do – and I believe we must – we have to react strongly when ecumenical ideals are so grossly violated by Protesants who invite or permit these “women priest” ceremonies in their churches.
The most sacred rites of the Catholic Church are Holy Mass and ordination to Holy Orders. These are sine quibus non for our Catholic identity and the continuance of Holy Church Herself. They are of divine origin. They are for us most sacred. To treat sacred things with lack of due respect or reverence is the sin of sacrilege.
From our point of view as Catholics, these women-priest supporters are committing sacrilege in simulating Mass and Orders.
The Protestants who host them are also, objectively speaking, committing a sacrilege. They are permitting or inviting a mockery of our Holy Mass and a mockery of the priesthood.
When Protestants allow dissident Catholics to commit sacrileges in their churches, they effectively wave their middle-digit directly in the face of the Catholic Church.
For a long time progressivist Catholics were staging Jewish sedar meals in their churches. Some Jews were angered by this. The Catholics weren’t intending to give disrespect but that it how it was perceived. Except in some rare cases I suppose, Catholic don’t simulate their sacred Jewish rite anymore. We got the message from the Jews and stopped doing what was offensive to them.
There is no confusion in the religious world about what the Catholic Church teaches about Mass and ordination, about who may celebrate Mass and who may be ordained. There is NO confusion about what the Church teaches! Nevertheless, Protestants invite what the Catholic Church teaches is sacrilege to be committed in their churches.
Furthermore, in allowing this group of fakers into their churches, the Protestants are accepting the premise that what the women are doing in there actually is a Catholic ordination and Mass.
How dare PROTESTANTS decide what a Catholic Mass is?
And if they respond, “Gee, we mean no disrespect. We are just giving space to this group”, then what they are doing is aiding a protest against the Catholic Church.
There is no way around this. Protestants who give these fakers aid are either on their side, and thus support their claim that what they are doing really is an ordination and Mass, or in claiming not to be taking sides they are still giving support to an anti-Catholic protest.
“But Father! But Father!”, you are certainly saying by now, “There really isn’t anything we can do about this! They can do what they like in their churches and we are powerless!”
I respond: We are not powerless. Bishops must act.
Imagine that some women-priest fakers have a sacrilegious ceremony at, say, St. Swithan-by-the Slough Episcopal Church – or whatever Protestant church – in Tall Tree Circle, within in the territory of the Catholic Diocese of Black Duck.
Upon hearing the news that this ceremony is going to take place (or has taken place), the Catholic Bishop of Black Duck must call the pastor of that Protestant parish and say, “I’m the Catholic Bishop. Do not allow this sacrilege to be committed in your church.” (Mutatis mutandis, if it already happened of course.) He goes on to say, “You wouldn’t do this for a group of dissident Jews wanting to ordain rabbis, but we are Catholics so you don’t care what offense you give us. Until an apology is issued, don’t look for us to dialogue with you again.”
Then the Catholic Bishop of Black Duck calls the head of the denomination, the Episcopalian Bishop of the zone or whomever they have depending on the group, and unloads the same message.
Then the Catholic Bishop sends informative notes to the USCCB’s ecumenical office, to the CDF and to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity in order to let them know the facts about the the sacrileges against our most sacred rites and sacraments that were committed – with their help – in their church.
Then you call the press.
“But FATHER!” some of you are saying, all aghast and aflutter, “That’s… that’s… isn’t that over the top? Isn’t that a terrible over-reaction? You’ll hurt ecumenism! Shouldn’t we take the high road? Turn the other cheek? Be nice! Your response should be, I dunno, more proportionate!”
I respond: “PIFFLE! BULL PIFFLE!”
Protestants invite or permit sacrilege and anti-Catholic protest in their church and, when we say we don’t like it, Catholics are guilty of slowing down ecumenism? I. Think. NOT.
And as for a “proportionate response”, what would that be?
You want a “proportionate response”? Here’s a proportionate response!
Given that we are talking about the most sacred rites we have, a proportionate response would have to be something like a special service in the Cathedral of Black Duck. There would be a prayer of reparation for the sacrilege at St. Swithan-by-the Slough, a sermon about the theological errors of their sect, and prayers for the mercy of God on their souls lest they go to Hell. There would be handouts about the true teaching of the Church on Holy Mass and Holy Orders and, also, true ecumenism, articles in the local diocesan newspaper describing the errors of the sect and that they are not a true Church in the sense recognized by the Catholic Church. There would be weeks of sermons in every pupit of the Diocese of Black Duck…. Get the drift? That’s proportionate.
The response of my fictional Bishop of Black Duck is actually pretty mild compared to a proportionate response.
Take the higher road? Okay, let’s do. Let’s take the high road of true ecumenism. Let’s start by not lying to each other and committing sacrilege against what others hold sacred.
True ecumenism does not consist in lying down and letting some other church kick you and define what Mass is for you, or say who can be ordained, or stick their “F-You” finger in your face when letting in these sacrilegious fakers.
Enough.
From poor little Spirit’s twin, Opportunity, comes this panoramic view. HERE.
It is stitched together from 817 images taken between 12 Dec 2011 and 8 May 2012 while Opportunity was stationed on an outcrop called “Greeley Haven” during the Martian winter.
According to NASA, false color was added to show the difference between materials on the Red Planet (so what you’re seeing may not really be that red or blue).
You can see Opportunity’s tracks on the left, which have exposed some darker soil underneath. The Endeavor Crater, which spans about 14 miles in diameter, can be seen at the right of the image just below the horizon.
Go HERE for a hi-res file!
That’s so cool, I think I will refresh my supply of ….
[CUE MUSIC]
When its the Martian winter and it takes longer for your dusty solar panels to pick up energy, you know just the right pick me up!
That’s right! It’s not just any coffee. It’s Mystic Monk Coffee!
It's swell!
As we come to the 7th anniversary of 07-07-07, the date that the text of Pope Benedict XVI’s Summorum Pontificum, let’s enjoy a video from Catholic News Service.
This is an interview with His Eminence Raymond Card. Burke.
[wp_youtube]7c62iZ4ufOY[/wp_youtube]
I like to broil salmon and trout. There are many ways to do it. Here is one way I have found that works well. And it is FAST.
First, find a sale on salmon or your trout (that is the time consuming part). I got Steelhead Trout for a song and then went back to produce for limes.
FYI… Steelhead Trout and Salmon, different species of the same genus, are virtually interchangeable.
Slice long slashes and insert thin half-slices of lime. I gave it a good coating of garlic-infused olive oil and ground pepper over it.
Broil for just a few minutes, not real close to the heat source. Salmon will cook quickly. You don’t want to ruin it by overcooking it into fibrous slab. The tomatoes could have had more time, but they were good.
Dressed up.
Salmon with lime and garlic-oil.
Easy-peasy lemon squeezy.
As you may remember I made a Latin version of the Say The Black Do The Red mugs… several Latin versions as a matter of fact. HERE.
I also make a new version of the Catholic And Faithful American And Free theme, so that it would be on one side of the mug and, therefore, easier to read. HERE.
I received one of each today and they are splendid!
And the car magnets are nice as well.
Pres. Obama has been undermining our 1st Amendment rights. As a refresher, this is the first article of the Bill of Rights:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
However, he is also going after the 2nd Amendment:
A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
Obama is undermining this through an international treaty, the Arms Trade Treaty, which would effectively impose a new form of gun control on the citizens of the United States through, your guessed it, the UN.
You might want to look at this short video which explains the situation. HERE. There is a CNS story HERE.
From a reader:
When Canon Law speaks of diocesan Ordinaries, or those equivalent to them in law – are they speaking of Apostolic Administrators or Vicar Generals or both? I know that pragmatically, an Apostolic Administrator has Ordinary powers but is a vicar general considered the equivalent of an Ordinary?
I believe we refer to “vicars general” rather than “vicar generals”.
First, it’s time for a little Vicar General Humor! Many years ago I learned some Latin acrostics for various figures in the Church, including the vicarius, who we learn is
Vir
Inutilis
Carens
Auctoritati
Rare
Intelligentiae
Umbra
Superioris
It doesn’t have to be great Latin, it just has to be funny. Parochus and Episcopus are also a hoot! But I digress.
Vicars general are an important group of men for our Holy Church. They, as a group, are rather like how St. Augustine describes Holy Church herself: “corpus permixtum malis et bonis … a body mixed through with good and bad people.” God sorts them out in the like, like wheat and chaff. I have known a couple vicars general who were diligent and prayerful men, classy and kind to boot. I have known a couple vicars general who might have sub’d for the Prince of Darkness. They are rather like, therefore, the proverbial box of chocolates. But they are important.
Let’s get some terms straight.
“Vicar” is from the Latin vicarius, “a substitute, deputy, proxy, a locum tenens”, one who fills in for another. This is in turn from Latin defective noun vicis concerning “change, interchange, alternation, alternate or reciprocal succession, vicissitude” and “the position, place, room, stead, post, office, duty of one person or thing as assumed by another”. Think of the “Vicar of Christ” (the one who stands in the place of Christ) or a Parochial Vicar (the one who stands in the place of the parochus, the parish priest or, as said in America, the parish’s “pastor”. It has adverbial applications as well. Think of vice versa.
So, a vicarius generalis is one who stands in for the bishop generally, or in all things (“generalis”).
The 1983 Code of Canon Law does not speak of “diocesan Ordinaries”. The terms used are “local Ordinary” or “personal Ordinary”. Canon 134, defines (and it’s rare for the 1983 Code to give a definition) these ecclesiastical critters:
“In law, the term Ordinary means, apart from the Roman Pontiff, diocesan bishops and all who, even for a time only, are set over a particular Church or a community equivalent to it in accordance with canon 368, and those who in these have general ordinary executive power, that is, Vicars general and episcopal Vicars; likewise, for their own members, it means to major Superiors of clerical religious institutes of pontifical right and of clerical societies of apostolic life of pontifical right, who have at least ordinary executive power.”
Paragraph §2 explains that the term “local ordinary” only refers to the Pope, diocesan bishops and those equivalent to them (e.g., a temporary Diocesan Administrator, an Abbott Nullius, a Vicar Apostolic, an Apostolic Prefect, or an Apostolic Administrator). You will sometimes read my suggestions here on this blog that people write to their “local ordinary”.
Superiors of religious institutes and societies of apostolic life are “personal ordinaries”. The prelates of a personal prelature are probably in this category, since their jurisdiction is personal, rather than territorial. The relatively new concept of a personal ordinariate – such as the Anglican Ordinariates – would likely put their Ordinaries into the category of personal, not local.
Hence, ad rem, a Vicar General is not the equivalent to an Ordinary, since he IS an Ordinary.
When the Code say that something is entrusted to the Ordinary, the Vicar General can do it. If the Code restricts something to the diocesan bishop, the Code explicitly states the restriction (e.g., can. 515 §2 – “The diocesan bishop alone can establish, suppress, or alter parishes.”). Even in many of these cases, those equivalent to the diocesan bishop (the temporary Administrator, Abbott Nullius, Vicar Apostolic, Apostolic Prefect, Apostolic Administrator) are presumed to have the same authority, “unless the contrary is clear from the nature of things or from a provision of the law” (can. 381 §2).
As you can see the choice of a diocesan Vicar General is important. And since, contrary to the claims of some, vicars general really are also human beings, one should pray that the diocesan bishop chooses not only a capable man, but a good and a prayerful man. Sadly, that is not always how things work out.
A savage vicar general can – and usually does – hurt people. That is too well known by priests, I’m afraid, from personal experience. Of course the contrary is also true. Vice versa they can help a lot of people even while they are helping the local ordinary.
Vicars general lug around a tremendous burden of work and responsibility. We often pray for bishops. We should not forget also to pray for vicars general, who are unseen and unsung – which is also only right. They are, after all, the Umbra Superioris.
Pray for both the “malis et bonis“.
UPDATE:
A bishop-reader of the blog has some interesting observations in a comment, below.
More from the Church of Making Irony Redundant.
These guys never fail to amaze. They have an astonishingly complicated array of commission and conventions and meetings and votes… all for about 4 people. And those 4 are going to do what they want anyway.
Episcopalians Review a New Rite for Gay Unions
Episcopalians, gathering this week in Indianapolis for their triennial General Convention, are expected to overwhelmingly approve trial use of a new liturgy for blessing same-sex unions…
In 2009, the Episcopal Church lifted a temporary ban on blessing gay unions and said bishops may provide “generous pastoral response” to gay couples, especially in states that allow civil unions or gay marriages.
Many Episcopal bishops now permit the blessing of same-sex relationships, and some in states where gay marriage is legal — including Bishop M. Thomas Shaw of the Diocese of Massachusetts, which runs roughly east of Interstate 495 — let priests officiate at the marriage of same-sex couples.
[Get this… ] But because the Episcopal Church canons and the Book of Common Prayer describe marriage as between a man and woman, some bishops have not embraced same-sex blessings or weddings. [Imagine that!] Bishop Gordon Paul Scruton of the Diocese of Western Massachusetts, does not allow priests to do either.[..]
Benedict XVI is the Pope of Christian Unity.
Coat of Arms by D Burkart
A Daily Prayer for Priests
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