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{]:¬)

“In the last 35 years, those lives destroyed could have included…”

Posted on 11 January 2015 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From Fr. George Rutler’s “pastor’s page” for 11 January.

There was a theologian who, when discouraged, would keep repeating to himself, “I have been baptized.” Since the Prince of Lies has discouragement as his chief strategy and purpose, the Rite of Baptism includes an exorcism: an explicit renunciation of Satan, and all his works, and all his empty promises.

Jesus our Encourager did not have to be baptized, for he had no sin to wash away, but by plunging into the waters of the Jordan and rising up, he was setting an example of dying and rising, which in daily life is played out by overcoming obstacles and refuting naysayers. This is modeled in the famous legend of the Scottish king, Robert the Bruce. As Sir Walter Scott told it, the Bruce withdrew to a cave after six defeats in battle, and one rainy day, deeply depressed, he watched a spider weaving a web. Six times the spider’s thread broke, and six times the spider resumed its weaving until it succeeded the seventh time. The Bruce rallied and won his great victory at Bannockburn, and the crown of Scotland along with it.

Ever since the legalization of abortion in our country, the Church has resisted the temptation to discouragement in defending innocent life. January 22 will mark the 41st annual March for Life in Washington. The March has gone on in weather fair and foul, whether government administrations have been friend or foe. In those years, more than 56 million babies in our country alone have been destroyed in their mothers’ wombs. We lament the loss of at least 110 million soldiers and civilians worldwide in the two World Wars, and can barely imagine with what talent and invention so many of them might have endowed the arts and science. The same dirge can be intoned for all those babies.

Last year at this time, I cited a statistical abstract using the ratio of professions to population and the number of infants aborted. The resulting estimate showed that in the last 35 years, those lives destroyed could have included: two U.S. presidents; seven Supreme Court justices; 102 U.S. senators and 589 congressmen; 8,123 judges; 31 Nobel Prize laureates; 328 Olympic medalists; 6,092 professional athletes; 134,841 physicians and surgeons; 392,500 registered nurses; 70,669 clergy, including 6,852 Catholic priests and 11,010 nuns; 1,102,443 elementary and high-school teachers; 553,821 truck drivers; 224,518 maids and housekeepers; 33,939 janitors; 134,028 farmers and ranchers; 109,984 police officers; and 39,477 firefighters.

None of those infants lived to be baptized, and they are entrusted to the mercy of God. Our nation now has the lowest birthrate in its history, and may be approaching the demographic winter that is destroying many other countries. The good news is that contending for life year in and year out has raised consciences, and the rate of abortions is at an all-time low. So when facing Satan and all his works and all his empty promises, say with good courage: I have been baptized.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Brick by Brick, Emanations from Penumbras, Our Catholic Identity, Si vis pacem para bellum!, Sin That Cries To Heaven, The future and our choices | Tagged baptism, discouragement, Fr. George Rutler, March for Life
30 Comments

“The Wile E. Coyote of contemporary liberal Catholicism”

Posted on 10 January 2015 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

You all must go to First Things and read Robbie George’s response to the loony tunes attack made on him by Fishwrap’s (aka National Schismatic Reporter) Michael Sean Winters (hereafter aka the Wile E. Coyote of contemporary liberal Catholicism).

The piece is replete with descriptions of how MSW’s mental hand grenades go off, inevitably, at the wrong time.

When you stop to think about it, the invocation of such a beloved cartoon character by George is pretty tame… at least compared to the way MSW often describes people.

My question is: Will MSW-WEC respond with his usual venom?

Meanwhile…

Posted in Lighter fare | Tagged Fishwrap, Michael Sean Winters, National Schismatic Reporter, NCR, Robert P. George, venom, Wile E. Coyote
11 Comments

Observations about remarks by Cardinal-Elect John A. Dew

Posted on 10 January 2015 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Cardinal-Elect John A. Dew
Archbp. of Wellington

My good friend Fr. Gerald Murray has some observations and questions concerning remarks made by Most Reverend John A. Dew, the Archbishop of Wellington in New Zealand who is slated to become a Cardinal in the next consistory. People are now beginning to look at the records of the men to be raised to the College of Cardinals. The internet is handy.

Read the whole thing over there, at The Catholic Thing. I’ll provide some chunks of the text. My emphases:

A Higher Standard Is Possible

By Fr. Gerald E. Murray
SATURDAY, JANUARY 10 2015

The Archbishop of Wellington, New Zealand, John A. Dew, will be among the new Cardinals who will receive the red biretta at St. Peter’s on February 14. Archbishop Dew was a member of last October’s Extraordinary Synod on the Family. His remarks to the press during the Synod are very troubling.

He told Salt and Light Television: “the message of the New Zealand bishops was that we wanted to see language in Church documents changed so that it’s something that gives people hope and support and encouragement, rather than being something that appears to many people that they can’t sort of meet the mark, that they can’t live up to the standards that the Church is asking of them.”

He also spoke about the response of Catholics to the pre-synodal consultation conducted by New Zealand’s bishops:

25 percent of the respondents were non-practicing Catholics and the message was that “It’s impossible when we’re told that because we’re using contraception we’re intrinsically evil or that we’re living in an irregular situation, that the language is so negative that it doesn’t help us.” So, my intervention was: Let’s not be concentrating on rules, but looking for language that helps people and encourages people in their journey to God.

[Note: the Church does not consider people using contraception to be “intrinsically evil”; rather, the use of contraceptives is intrinsically evil.]

Archbishop Dew wrote in his own blog from the Synod: “I gave my own Intervention today and it seemed to be well received by most. I basically said that we have to change the language which is used in various Church documents so that people do not see and hear the Church judging or condemning, passing out rules and laws, but rather showing concern and compassion and reaching out to help people discover God in their lives.” [If you change the language… isn’t there a danger that you will change the meaning?]

This line of argument is not novel for him. He was a member of the 2005 Synod on the Holy Eucharist. The Holy See Press Office published a summary of his intervention in which he spoke about those “hungering for the food of the Eucharist” and argued “[o]ur Church would be enriched if we were able to invite dedicated Catholics, currently excluded from the Eucharist, to return to the Lord’s table. There are those whose first marriages ended in sadness; they have never abandoned the Church, but are currently excluded from the Eucharist.”

This calls for some comment: referring to a marriage “ending” is imprecise. Cohabitation with one’s spouse may end, a civil divorce may be obtained, yet one’s marriage to that spouse continues until death. Further, Holy Communion is not denied owing to civil divorce, but rather because of an adulterous union following divorce.

Archbishop Dew’s comments reveal lack of sympathy for Church laws that seek to prevent the sin and scandal of sacrilegious reception of the Eucharist by those who lack the proper disposition because they have civilly remarried after divorce. Note the pejorative references to Church discipline for the worthy reception of the Holy Eucharist as ”judging and condemning, passing out rules and laws” whereas he seeks a new approach “showing concern and compassion,” giving people “hope and support and encouragement,” using “language that helps people and encourages people in their journey to God.” [Antinomianism?]

[… skipping, but don’t miss this, over there…]

Archbishop Dew offered a strikingly different approach when a recent scandal involving political dirty tricks became known in New Zealand. He wrote an opinion piece in the New Zealand Herald in which he stated: “It does no credit to political leaders to claim that an activity such as accessing the database of another political party is done by everyone. If something is unethical, the fact that it is widely practised does not make it ethical.”

He justified the media attention given to this scandal, saying “bringing into the light unethical and immoral behaviour through the media is one of the checks on the power of the state and a way in which those responsible can be held to account for their actions or inactions, as well as revealing their true character.” He said that this scandal “shows that New Zealanders desire a higher standard of moral and ethical behaviour among all New Zealand’s politicians and believe a higher standard is possible and necessary. It is an opportunity for restoration and a restatement of core moral principles that should drive the actions of our political leaders, rather than become an opportunity for excuses, deflection or minimisation and justifications of unethical behaviour.”

[…]

There’s more, but you’ll have to read it over there!

Posted in One Man & One Woman, Our Catholic Identity, The Drill, What are they REALLY saying? | Tagged Archd. Wellington, Fr. Gerald Murray
49 Comments

ROME DAY 6: Pontifical Mass with Card. Burke

Posted on 10 January 2015 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Today we had a Pontifical Mass at the faldstool celebrated by His Eminence Raymond Leo Card. Burke. There was a visiting choir from Ireland for the music. The Mass was in the Basilica of San Nicola in carcere, which is where I was ordained to the diaconate in 1990 by the late, great Card. Mayer. While in seminary, I was assigned to help at the church on Sundays and I directed an all female schola canentium.

The texts for the Mass were the rarely seen Votive Mass for the Betrothal of Mary and Joseph which fell on 23 January, found in an appendix of older editions of the Missale Romanum.

A few pics of the Mass. More will be available soon.

First, the basilica is built into an ancient temple in the ancient Greek zone, where there were fora for oil and vegetables. A reconstruction.

In a side chapel there is one of the oldest copies of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, brought here in the early 1600’s and decorated with gold from the New World. After Mass, it was taken down and presented to us for our veneration. It is a crowned image, and Merry Card. Del Val did the honors.

The Cardinal’s sermon dealt with the meaning of Mary and Joseph’s betrothal, how it was an actual marriage, not just an engagement, though before they would have lived together in any way. He explained the importance of Mary’s viriginity in that marital context, and then spoke about the Synod and the importance of understanding what marriage is and what cannot be considered marriage.

It was difficult to have a Pontifical Mass in this small space, up in the apse. The Mass was celebrated ad orientem, in respect to the altar, but versus populum. That is, this is one of those Roman basilicas which is so arranged that the altar is close to the confession. So, basically, people in the nave don’t see too much of what’s going on, but they hear it!

I had not been subdeacon for Mass at the faldstool before. There were some changes to be made, but it went along pretty well.

You can see the basilica’s umbrella.

After, lunch with friends.

I can’t resist good mozzarella here.

Also, bits of warm cod and chickpeas in oil and herbs.

Posted in Just Too Cool, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000 | Tagged Card. Burke, San Nicola in carcere
18 Comments

How liberals want to rule.

Posted on 9 January 2015 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From CharismaNews:

Houston, We Still Have a Problem: Lesbian Mayor at It Again

Remember when Houston’s lesbian mayor, Annise Parker, tried to subpoena five pastors’ sermons in a case over the controversial transgender rights ordinance there? This same lesbian mayor is trying her level best to deny these pastors the right to a jury trial. She wants a “special master” to review the evidence. [Stalin would be impressed.]

Here’s the backstory, as Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) explains it: City officials got upset over a voter lawsuit filed after the City Council rejected valid petitions to repeal a law that allows members of the opposite sex into each other’s restrooms.

ADF attorneys jumped into the fray, contending the city illegitimately demanded that the pastors, who are not party to the lawsuit, turn over their constitutionally protected sermons and other communications simply so the city could see if the pastors have ever opposed or criticized the city.

[…]

But the story doesn’t end there. Fast forward to January and the drama is heating up again over the so-called bathroom bill. The City of Houston has filed several motions and is asking a Texas district court to deny pastors a jury hearing. That means a final decision on the bathroom bill would be in the hands of a single judge in what they are trying to classify as an election dispute. The pastors followed all the requirements and paid all the costs to hold a jury trial.

[…]

[Pastor Steve Riggle, who was one of the ministers subpoenaed, said in a statement to city council members…. […]

“The gay revolution will continue to overplay its hand. As those who were once bullied now bully others, this will produce an increasing backlash, as seen with the ‘Houston Five’ last year,” he wrote. “And as gay activists win more and more battles in the courts and the society, that will actually work against them, and their goals will continue to become more and more extreme.”

[…]

People think that these violations of freedom can’t happen where they live are deluded. Think of the Volksgerichtshof or Sondergericht, or the frenzied public special sessions of the Cultural Revolution. Extreme examples? Not really. And they weren’t than long ago.

Posted in SESSIUNCULA | Tagged freedom of religion, Houston, religious freedom
8 Comments

Want to attract people to Mass? Get rid of Latin! (NOT!)

Posted on 9 January 2015 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

My friend Fr. Finelli has some good advice.

If you want to attract people to Mass, get rid of Latin! [Don’t worry. Keep reading.]

Almost every Catholic parish you enter in the US, it would be a slight miracle to hear the least bit of Latin. [Which is exactly contrary to what the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council desired.] During Lent and Advent, you might hear a Sanctus or Agnus Dei, but that is a far as it goes. Any pastor will tell you that Latin will chase people away. If you want people to come to Mass, you have to give them what they want. [Because Mass… sorry, “liturgy” is all about affirming them as they are.] Young people want music that sounds like their music. Guitars, drums, keyboards and a good base will create the atmosphere that everyone wants. Besides, if you have Latin, people don’t understand it and they will go elsewhere. The kids and young people want their culture.

We all know this has been a big success. [He’s being ironical.] Our churches are much fuller than they ever where. [Ditto.] This is not the case at all. Contemporary “Christian” music doesn’t hold a candle to what our young people listen to. It is a poor imitation of the “real” thing. [Who thinks that young people really want the rubbish played in churches? Only the grey-haired people who have been playing it for the last 40+ years.]

Besides, who says that our young people hate Latin? [Not I!] It’s only the older people who for the past 50 years have been told that Latin is outdated, impractical, and not with the times who reject it. [Remember my explanation for why older Americans freak out at Latin? HERE] Priests, and Liturgists have told [lied to] the Catholic faithful that our young people can’t relate to Latin chant and sacred song. But I want to tell you, they are dead wrong. Every Sunday, the voices that I hear belt out the Latin Mass parts the loudest are those who are the closest to me, my altar boys. Below is a clip of Tommy singing a solo. He only had a small sheet of paper with words written on it and no music notation. Tommy also serves most of my funerals. He sings the Requiem, In Paradisum, all the Mass parts, and many of the Sacred humans and chants from memory. Tommy is 10 years old and has been doing this for years. Everyone that sees and hears him sing is moved and inspired. Meet Tommy.

I say if you want to attract young people to Mass, challenge them and give them something that will help them enter into the sacred and not what they have in the world.

Go over there to see the video!

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Fr. Z KUDOS, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Mail from priests, Our Catholic Identity | Tagged Fr. Finelli, Latin
31 Comments

22 Jan: Pontifical Mass (TLM) after March for Life!

Posted on 9 January 2015 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

On Thursday, 22 January in Washington DC, at 4:00 PM, after the March For Life, there will be a Pontifical Mass at the Faldstool celebrated by His Excellency Most Reverend Thomas John Paprocki, Bishop of Springfield in Illinois.

Mass is scheduled to begin at 4:00 pm at St. Mary Mother of God Church (5th and H Sts. NW in downtown Washington DC).

Assistant Priest – Rev. Fr. John Zuhlsdorf
Deacon – Rev. Monsignor Charles Pope
Subdeacon – Rev. Paul Scalia

Choir: The Schola Cantorum of the The Lyceum School, South Euclid, Ohio.

The Mass is sponsored by the Paulus Institute. These are the wonderful people who organized the stunning Pontifical Mass at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception which Bp. Slattery of Tulsa celebrated. HERE

The Mass is being offered for the repose of the soul of the long-time pro-life activist Nellie Gray.

I was sent a list of the music for the Pontifical Mass. I sounds splendid.

Prelude: Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos – Sergei Rachmaninoff
Processional: Non Nobis – William Byrd
Introit: Chant proper (chant schola)
Kyrie: Missa Brevis – G.P. Palestrina
Graduale/Alleluia: Chant proper
Offertory: Chant proper
O Magnum Mysterium – Tomas Luis da Victoria
Sanctus: Missa Brevis – G.P. Palestrina
Benedictus: Missa Brevis – G.P. Palestrina
Agnus Dei: Missa Brevis – G.P. Palestrina
Communion Chant Proper
Ave Verum – Josquin de Prez
Sicut Cervus – G.P. Palestrina
Recessional: Laudate Nomen Domini – Christopher Tye

Posted in ACTION ITEM!, Emanations from Penumbras, Events, Just Too Cool, SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM, The Campus Telephone Pole, What Fr. Z is up to | Tagged Bp. Paprocki, March for Life, Nellie Gray, Pontifical Mass
20 Comments

ASK FATHER: Does the Church “supply” what is lacking in doubtful absolutions?

Posted on 9 January 2015 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

GO TO CONFESSION!

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

I’ve heard you say that one of the cruelest things a priest can do is hear your confession and not (at least) say “I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Now, if the priest or penitent were unaware of this mistake wouldn’t Canon 144 apply and thus make the absolution valid?

That’s not quite what I have said. I have said, and I’ll say it again, that one of the cruelest things that priests can do is leave someone in doubt about the validity of sacraments, such as penance or baptism. Fathers, say the words as they are in the book! Don’t fool around with the validity of sacraments by “improving” them with your own musings. You do not have the knowledge, wisdom or authority to do so. Say The Black and Do The Red when it comes to the sacramental forms. Better: use Latin.

Can. 144 says:

The Church supplies, in both the internal and external forum, the executive power of governance in common error, in positive and probable doubt, whether of fact or of law.

This is the famous ecclesia supplet.

Canon 144 only refers to the Church supplying “potestatem regiminis executivam”, the “executive power of governance”.

Keeping with confession as an example, and one that involves internal forum, can. 144 covers instances wherein a priest who lacks the faculty to hear confessions at all, or he just lacks them in a particular place or situation, nevertheless believes he has the faculty and the penitent also believes he does. Thus, it doesn’t quite cover the situation of SSPX priests, who know very what proper authority as instructed about their state: they lack faculties. They, however, do not obey proper authority. They might honestly believe that they can receive confessions because of some state of “emergency” that the Church is in, but, intellectually, they know that the Church has told them that they don’t. They aren’t ignorant of the facts, though they – even with sincerity – may not accept them. Some lay people are up to date on the controversy, though most are not.

Can. 144 is not meant to say that the Church supplies anything that is missing from a juridic or sacramental act, as it is often erroneously cited. Imagine a priest who, when presented a ciborium full of unconsecrated hosts at the Lamb of God, put in a few consecrated hosts, covered it and shook it up, saying, “ecclesia supplet”! Yes, that’s a true story.

Can. 144 would not supply validity to an invalid, or even to a doubtful, formula.

So in this situation, the formula of absolution is still doubtful. That said, the penitent’s sins are more than likely forgiven. Also to be considered is what God does in the soul of the penitent who is sincerely sorry and has done her very best in confession of her sins.

Lastly, it is rare indeed that the priest screws up the form of absolution so badly that he invalidates the sacrament. That’s a separate issue from causing wonder in the penitent, however.

And…

GO TO CONFESSION!

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, GO TO CONFESSION, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Our Catholic Identity, Priests and Priesthood | Tagged can. 144, form of absolution, formula absolutionis, matter and form
10 Comments

Confraternity of Catholic Clergy’s “Statement in support ofMarriage”

Posted on 9 January 2015 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

The conference I attended in Rome, held by the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy, has concluded. The CCC groups represented were from Australia, Ireland, the UK, and USA.

The CCC issued a joint statement, HERE, which follows (my emphases):

Statement in support of marriage

The International gathering of Confraternities of Catholic Clergy meeting in Rome (January 5th to 9th 2015), have discussed issues pertinent to the forthcoming Synod on the Family in response to the Holy Father’s call for reflection. The fathers pledge their unwavering fidelity to the traditional doctrines regarding marriage and the true meaning of human sexuality as proclaimed in the Word of God and set out clearly in the Church’s Ordinary and Universal Magisterium.
Confraternity priests from Australia, Great Britain, Ireland and the United States commit themselves to the work of presenting anew the Good News about marriage and family life in all its fullness and helping, with the Lord’s compassion, those who struggle to follow the Gospel in a secular society. The Confraternities, furthermore, affirm the importance of upholding the Church’s traditional discipline regarding the reception of the sacraments and that doctrine and practice must remain firmly and inseparably in harmony.

I urge you faithful priests to join your respective groups. Not faithful? Get your head and heart straightened out and then join.

US: www.catholicclergy.net

Australia: www.clergy.asn.au

UK: www.confraternityccb.org.uk

Ireland: www.confraternity.ie

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ACTION ITEM!, Fr. Z KUDOS, Mail from priests, One Man & One Woman, Our Catholic Identity, Priests and Priesthood | Tagged Confraternity of Catholic Clergy, marriage, matrimony
7 Comments

ROME DAY 4: priests and other bottom feeders

Posted on 8 January 2015 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I had a lot to do in Rome today, many errands. I won’t bore you with them. Most of you want to know what I ate, anyway. I made breakfast in my own place: eggs over easy with prosciutto in the pan and a dollop of cream with gorgonzola on toasts with lots of really strong coffee.

Lunch… meh… nothing to say.

Now for the rest of the day….

… tonight I met a couple priest friends for supper at one of my favorite places in Rome.

We started with mozzarella… I haven’t found better mozzarella in Rome… with hand cut prosciutto.

This stuff oozes and moos.

The first bottle. Sagrantino is a favorite of mine.

Scampi… grilled. Think of really big crayfish, split in half lengthwise, and put over flames with herbs and oil and lemon.

At some restaurants, these come out like Pirelli products. Not so here. They were properly grilled, but like wonderful scampi butter.

Dessert was nothing more than their own biscotti and some amaro.

I have a hobby: I take photos of old “no littering” signs. This, however, is not quite that! Look carefully. Perhaps some of you will want to have a stab at translating it.