I understand that an earthquake rumbled up Washington DC today. Let’s see… isn’t there going to be a hurricane later in the week?
Holy Moses! When do the frogs and locusts arrive? Will the reflecting pool on the Mall turn to blood?
Is someone standing outside the White House or the Capitol or the Supreme Court shouting “Let my people go!”?
Check out Fr. Longenecker’s site for some liberal liturgical hijinx.
There is a Red and Black reference.
I just heard a fascinating story about a medical doctor who, for his practice, has hired two people to pray for patients and for himself and the staff, to apply also intercessory prayer. The doctor sees this as a necessary part of his practice.
We know that intercessory prayer works and there have been blind studies done about this.
I was terribly impressed.
When we talk about the apostolate of lay people, let’s get the image of people prancing about in albs out of our heads.
This is more like it.
After reading this howler from the Conference for Women’s Ordination or COW … no… that’s not it… the Women’s Ordination Conference or WOC…. whatever… take note (below) of our WDTPRS ACTION ALERT!
I’ll bet this comes from WOC’s Ministry of Irritation. I am not making that up. Really. Ministry of Irritation.
Women’s Ordination Conference [WOC!] Decries Ban on Altar Girls in Phoenix Diocese
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 22, 2011
Contact: Erin Saiz Hanna, 202 675-1006, woc@womensordination.org
Women’s Ordination Conference Decries [A high dudgeon word if ever there was one.] Ban on Altar Girls in Pheonix Diocese [No… really. Pheonix, who was, I believe both one of their large puppets as well as a character with mottled skin in a Star Trek series.]
WASHINGTON, DC – August 22, 2011 – Girls will no longer be allowed to serve as altar servers during Mass at the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix, SS. Simon and Jude. In response, Women’s Ordination Conference has issued an action alert [aaahWOOOOgah!] calling on the Diocese to immediately reinstate female altar servers in that parish. [More on this, below.]
“If young women in the Phoenix diocese want to grow up to work for the Church – or even aspire to the priesthood [not gonna happen] – I, and the vast majority of U.S. Catholics, don’t see the harm in that, said Erin Saiz Hanna, executive director of the Women’s Ordination Conference. [Because in the Catholic Church doctrine is determined by the number of people who believe something.] “Around the country, young women have been lawfully serving at the altar for well over a decade.” [More on this below.]
Reportedly, Rev. Lankeit banned girls from the altar because he wants only boys to prepare for priesthood in this way. [Hold on there. That is an assumption. Are they working from the newspaper article or did anyone from COW call the rector of the cathedral and ask him? It could be that he is also trying to follow what the Holy See said was the “preferable” practice. It is still permitted to obey Rome, no?] Since 1994, the Vatican and the U.S. Bishops have allowed female altar servers. There is no restriction in Canon Law for women to help at the altar during the liturgy. [And there is no right, either. There is, however, a tradition and clearly expressed preference in the Holy See’s documents on the matter.]
“This is not only disgraceful, it is impractical. Women comprise at least 80 per cent of church lay ministers, and they are backbone of most parishes around the world,” continued Hanna. [Oh my! What is WOC going to do about the manifest discrimination against men filling these roles? JUSTICE! we must cry, JUSTICE!]
“The Vatican’s stance on the ordination of women is based on arguments that have been refuted time and again. [Refuted? Because WOC says so? Pfffft.] In 1976, the Vatican’s own Pontifical Biblical Commission determined that there is no scriptural reason to prohibit women’s ordination. [And there is no scriptural prohibition against slavery either. We can, in WOC-logic both ordain women and also enslave them.] Jesus included women as full and equal partners in his ministry, [ROLF! One of the dumbest things I have read in a looooong time. Hanna, read this carefully. NOBODY was Jesus “full and equal partner in His ministry”. Jesus was Master and Lord. The greatest man born of women, John the Baptist, said he wasn’t worthy to untie the Lord’s sandal. The Mother of God said to listen to and obey her Son. The Apostles themselves had a hierarchy within their ranks and they only did what they did in Jesus’ Name. Priests today are partners and collaborators with the bishops, but they are not exactly “full and equal” partners of the bishops. They have different roles.] and the hierarchy would do well to follow suit,” Hanna concluded.
First she mentioned that girls had served lawfully. The law makes a big difference to WOC? They who are involved in fake ordinations which are clearly against the Church’s law? They call on law when it serves their ideology.
Then the writer calls on the male bishop of the diocese to impose something on the pastor/rector of the Cathedral, who is acting lawfully in opting for service at the altar by males only.
It is lawful to have only male servers. Why doesn’t WOC praise the rector for his lawful decision?
It is even preferable, according to Congregation for Divine Worship, to have male service. WOC should applaud the rector for this. WOC doesn’t understand, apparently, that pastors/bishops may permit females to serve at the altar, but it is better to have boys serve, to wit, “it will always be very appropriate to follow the noble tradition of having boys serve at the altar” (Circular Letter to the Presidents of Episcopal Conference, March 15, 1994, no. 2). May… not must.
WOC thinks about priesthood in terms of power and of rights they wish to vindicate for themselves. No one has a right to be a priest and no one has the right to serve at the altar. While it is possible under the current interpretation of the current Code of Canon Law for the Latin Church for females to substitute for duly installed male acolytes, they have not right to substitute. And it will never be possible to ordain females of any age to any order of Holy Orders.
I think WDTPRSers should have our own
ACTION ALERT!
I have already sent a nice “Save The Liturgy Save The World” coffee mug to Fr. Lankeit, the Very Reverend Rector of the Cathedral in Phoenix. In fact, I think Bp. Olmsted (may his years be long and full of health and joy), should make Fr. Lankeit a Monsignor right away!
I also think everyone should drop him a nice note of thanks and support for promoting Communion on the tongue and male service at the altar.
Here is the general email address of the Cathedral in Phoenix. contactus@simonjude.org
Sample note:
Dear Fr. Lankeit,
Thank you for standing up for worthy liturgical worship in continuity with our Catholic tradition and in keeping with Holy Church’s laws and rites. Thank you for affirming male service at the altar as well as priestly vocations. Thank you for promoting Holy Communion on the tongue in your 30 January 2011 bulletin.
Please know that I have said a prayer for you and for an increase in vocations to the priesthood from among the boys and young men who will be serving at the altar of the Cathedral which Bishop Olmsted has entrusted to your pastoral care.
Blessings in Christ the High Priest,
…..
UPDATE:
Based on a comment, below, I had to add this.
[wp_youtube]-tWvYaiOmRs[/wp_youtube]
Via Eponymous Flower and Messa in Latino comes something from World Youth Day not covered by the mainstream Catholic media. And one must ask why that is.
My emphases:
Traditionalist Bishops [Not the SSPX bishops. Bishops with actual faculties and authority.] Celebrate the Immemorial Mass With 1500 WYD Pilgrims
(Madrid) Msgr. Marc Marie Max Aillet, the Bishop of Bayonne, Lescar and Orlon since 2008 in France will celebrate the Holy Mass in the Extraordinary Form at the Parish Church of San Eduardo in Madrid with more than 1500 youth. This church has been allocated to the youth who are attached to Tradition from France. The Bishops of Bayonne and Frejus-Toulon have been celebrating Holy Mass in the Tridentine Rite.
In addition, young Catholic pilgrims who are bound to Tradition also use the churches of the Terceer Monasterio de la Visitación (Salesians) and the parish church of San Francisco de Sales.
Msgr Le Gall on August 19th Bishop Marc Aillet is close to the Community of St. Martin. His priestly ordination took place in 1982 at the hands of the great Cardinal Giusseppe Siri. Before his consecration as Bishop he was the General Vicar of the Diocese of Frejus-Toulon, which is known for its closeness to Tradition. Msgr Aillet promotes the Rite in his Diocese.
[Update] on August 19th, 2011, Msgr Robert Le Gall, Archbishop of Toulose celebrated the Old Rite at the parish church of San Francisco de Sales. The Benedictine Msgr Le Gall is a famous Liturgist and was named to the tradition rich French Archdiocese in 2006. In 1992 he founded the Groupe de Chevetogne for the collaboration of Catholics and Orthodox. Archbishop Le Gall is the Chairman of the Liturgical Commission of the French Bishops Conference.
Translated from German which was translated from Messa in Latino/Giusseppe Nardi
A small percentage of young people who went to World Youth Day?
There was one young man from Communist China and he received an article on CNA.
And since when are minorities with legitimate aspirations unimportant?
Also, let us remember Universae Ecclesiae:
8. The Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum constitutes an important expression of the Magisterium of the Roman Pontiff and of his munus of regulating and ordering the Church’s Sacred Liturgy. The Motu Proprio manifests his solicitude as Vicar of Christ and Supreme Pastor of the Universal Church, and has the aim of:
a. offering to all the faithful the Roman Liturgy in the Usus Antiquior, considered as a precious treasure to be preserved;
b. effectively guaranteeing and ensuring the use of the forma extraordinaria for all who ask for it, given that the use of the 1962 Roman Liturgy is a faculty generously granted for the good of the faithful and therefore is to be interpreted in a sense favourable to the faithful who are its principal addressees;
c. promoting reconciliation at the heart of the Church.
I think that all pastors of souls should make sure that their flocks know how to say and sing all the parts of Mass which pertain to them in Latin and in their mother tongue and that they should be taught also about the Extraordinary Form of Holy Mass so that they have a greater appreciation of the riches open to them and so that they may have a choice.
There is a Marian Conference planned for 1 October (8:30 am – 3:00 pm) in Sioux Falls, SD, at the newly and beautifully restored Cathedral.
It is to be hosted by Bishop Paul J. Swain and the Office of the Marian Apostolate and the Office of Marriage, Family & Respect Life of Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls.
There is no charge for the conference and there will be activities for children.
For more information please call 605-988-3755
I meant to post this yesterday, but I get busy and forget. While today is the anniversary of the death of Stilicho in 408, yesterday in Ancient History, otherwise known as “ante diem XII Kalendas SEPT (can you believe it? Already?)
Consualia – Festival to the store-bin of the harvest god celebrating the end of the harvest. The flamen Quirinalis was in charge. Consus was honored with sacrifice and burnt offerings of first fruits, and horse and chariot races. [Any excuse for a party, back then. But wait! There’s more!]
Livy‘s account of the Rape of the Sabine Women takes place on this day.
Romulus, disguising his resentment [over the fact that other cities wouldn’t give his men the right to marry their women], made elaborate preparations for the celebration of games in honour of “Equestrian Neptune,” which he called “the Consualia.” He ordered public notice of the spectacle to be given amongst the adjoining cities, and his people supported him in making the celebration as magnificent as their knowledge and resources allowed, so that expectations were raised to the highest pitch. There was a great gathering; people were eager to see the new City, all their nearest neighbours-the people of Caenina, Antemnae, and Crustumerium-were there, and the whole Sabine population came, with their wives and families. They were invited to accept hospitality at the different houses, and after examining the situation of the City, its walls and the large number of dwelling-houses it included, they were astonished at the rapidity with which the Roman State had grown.When the hour for the games had come, and their eyes and minds were alike riveted on the spectacle before them, the preconcerted signal was given and the Roman youth dashed in all directions to carry off the maidens who were present.
Livy Bk I
A pretty dirty trick, that!
That aside, this classical reference always makes me, and I am sure you too, think of the Johnny Mercer song in Seven Brides For Seven Brothers. This may be one of the cleverest puns ever.
[wp_youtube]yfNAUCKGcaE[/wp_youtube]
Matt Abbott’s recent column at Renew America starts like this:
‘This post consists of excerpts from a letter I wrote to the pastor of a Catholic parish about a certain incident that occurred at his church. I have omitted all references as to the church’s location. The church is semi-circular in design, and we were sitting in the last pew near the center isle, which afforded us a clear view of almost the entire congregation. I started my letter with a compliment as to how nice the newly-remodeled church looked. I then ask the pastor to please consider the following hypothetical situation.
‘A priest enters the confessional for the usual Saturday morning or afternoon confession time. During this time a young man enters the confessional. ‘Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.’ From the sound of the voice on the other side of the screen, the priest surmises that the person is a teenager or young adult. The confession continues: ‘It was a week since my last confession. I’m guilty of many lustful thoughts, and I looked at some very immodestly dressed women more times than I should have.’
‘The priest asks, ‘Were these impure thoughts related to these women you looked at’?
”Yes,’ replies the young man.
‘The priest: ‘Why did you continue to look at them? Why didn’t you go someplace else, away from them?’
”I couldn’t,’ said the young man. ‘They were in front of me and I was kind of hemmed in by the crowd.’
‘The priest: ‘Why were you in such a place to begin with? Do you remember that we are to avoid places that may be an occasion of sin?’
‘The young man answers, “Yes, Father, I know that, but I had to be there.’
‘The priest, somewhat puzzled, then asks: ‘Why did you have to be there, and where were you: at the beach; at a sporting event?’
”No, Father,’ said the young man, ‘I was at your noon Mass last Sunday, and two scantily-dressed girls were sitting in the pew right in front of me, along with their parents. I couldn’t move because my parents were on either side of me.’
‘While I said that the above story was hypothetical, in reality it is not. The Mass in question took place this past July at a prominent Catholic parish in a town my wife and I were visiting. It was the main Mass of the day and the church was quite full.
[…]
Read the rest there.
Lack of decorum is a serious problem. Between corrosive informality and the more and more prevalent immodesty, it is getting more difficult to want to go to any public place…. even coffee shops… which is why it is a great idea to order
[CUE MUSIC]
You know what? The traditional Carmelite monks are very modest in their dress. But they are lavish in giving honor to God! That is why they are building a beautiful new monastery. And You can help them build it. All you have to do is order some Mystic Monk Coffee, their Tea or some other great MM swag.
Have you seen their great swag? Frankly, I like WDTPRS coffee mugs better.
But they do have a niffty press, and groovy grinder.
Mystic Monk!
It’s swell!
I was alerted to this article from The Arizona Republic with a note from a reader saying: “The coverage is predictably bad, but the facts are good.”
You may remember that I posted about Fr. Lankeit last January when he promoted Communion on the tongue. This guy gets it!
For your Brick by Brick file with my emphases and comments.
Phoenix diocese cathedral won’t allow girl altar servers [It could have said, “Cathedral gives affirmation to young men who serve” ]
Reverend: Altar duties part of priesthood prep
by Michael Clancy – Aug. 21, 2011 08:51 PMThe Arizona Republic
Girls no longer will be allowed as altar servers during Mass at the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix, SS. Simon and Jude.
The Rev. John Lankeit, rector of the cathedral, said he made the decision in hopes of promoting the priesthood for males and other religious vocations, such as becoming a nun, for females.
Made up primarily of fifth- through eighth-graders the altar-server corps in American churches has included girls since 1983 in many places. [I suspect that the writer just took the date of the Code of Canon Law. But there were females serving, contrary to the law, before that.] Girls and boys regularly serve together at churches throughout the Phoenix Catholic Diocese.
Bishops and pastors always have had the option of restricting the role to boys, but only one diocese, Lincoln, Neb., and scattered parishes have done so. [Didn’t Arlington also do that?] Before 1983, when church law was revised, girls were not allowed to serve. [Even after, until there was an interpretation… a bizarre interpretation I might add… from the Holy See on the point.]
At SS. Simon and Jude Cathedral in Phoenix, the girls will be offered the role of sacristan, the person who prepares the church and the altar area before Mass.
Lankeit said 80 to 95 percent of priests served as altar boys, but he could not state the percentage of altar servers who go on to be priests. [How could he? Does the writer think this is Psychic Network?]
He made the decision on his own, he said, even though the cathedral is recognized as the home church of Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted and is used for some important church events.
“He leaves these decisions to me,” Lankeit said.
SS. Simon and Jude is believed to be the first church in the diocese of Phoenix to ban girls from serving Mass, according to the diocese. [Note the language. It could have said “first to support and affirm service by boys”.]
Altar servers have a direct role in the Catholic Eucharistic ceremony, [For pity’s sake. Non-Catholics know what “Mass” is.] assisting the priest, and are the only lay people directly involved throughout the entire service. [?] Other lay people may serve as lectors or Eucharistic ministers, helping the priest distribute communion. [Perhaps the writer didn’t have his coffee before he wrote this. Altar servers are the only lay people involved, except for the other lay people who are involved.]
“The connection between serving at the altar and priesthood is historic,” Lankeit said. “It is part of the differentiation between boys and girls, as Christ established the priesthood by choosing men. Serving at the altar is a specifically priestly act.”
There appears to be little if any research connecting altar service to a later decision to enter the priesthood [And, seemingly, the reporter didn’t do any either!] – or connecting other types of service for girls to religious life as a nun. Anecdotally, the Diocese of Lincoln, Neb., is one of the stronger dioceses in developing new priests. [Hmmmm….]
The Rev. Kieran Kleczewski, pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas in Avondale and director of the diocese Office of Worship, does not expect other parishes following the cathedral’s policy just because it is the cathedral. [That’s right! Pit one priest against another now.]
“That’s not the way things work in our diocese,” he said. “The pastor has the authority over the parish’s liturgical practices.” [And the bishop? The pastor as a lot of authority.]
Kleczewski allows girls to serve Mass and has no plans to change.
“It is a shame on how the church continues to abuse the females,” [PUHLEEZE] said Bob Lutz of Phoenix, a Catholic with three grown daughters. “Church attendance is shrinking now, and this adds more fuel to the fire on how females are treated as second-class citizens.” [he said, as he ordered his caramel-flavored chai whipped cream mocha frothie with sprinkles]
Carole Bartholomeuax of Phoenix, who attended St. Joan of Arc parish, said girls outnumbered boys as altar servers there.
“I believe Mary Magdalene set the example for women to be altar servers. [So! That’s what Carole thinks. There it is, then.] I am so sorry to hear of this going backwards,” she said, adding that she still loves her church, “warts and all.” [She still finds reasons to love the Church even after this. Jesus is so lucky!]
But Michael Clancy, who heads the diocesan men’s group, said girls never were supposed to be allowed to serve, based on his understanding of the rules of the Mass. [Well… that statement could have been refined a little more too. Or did the reporter just run out of column inches?]
WDTPRS kudos to the rector of the Cathedral of Phoenix, Very Rev. John Lankeit.
If I get some donations today, I’ll send him a “Save The Liturgy Save The World” coffee mug. Or should I send the “Say The Black Do The Red”? Or “WDTPRS”?
Decisions! I’ll leave the poll open for a couple hours only.
Which coffee mug should Fr. Z send to the Rector of the Cathedral in Phoenix?
Total Voters: 879
UPDATE 1712 GMT:
Okaaaaay… that seems rather decisive.
Now… a few small donations…
UPDATE 21:46 GMT:
FIRST of all, please check out my ACTION ALERT!
The Diocese of Phoenix has issued a statement.
Altar Serving at Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral
PHOENIX (Aug. 22, 2011) — Experiencing personally the consequences of the priesthood shortage and noting the absence of strong fatherly presence in society in general, and religious practice in particular, Fr. John Lankeit, rector of Ss. Simon and Jude Cathedral, recently restructured the program for boys and girls who serve at Mass. At the Cathedral, boys can train to serve at the altar, and girls can train to serve as sacristans.
The decision was made in order to encourage young men and women to honor their God-given differentiation and complementarity, and to discern more clearly how such differentiation points to specific vocations in the Church.
Boys’ service at the altar has roots in Church history prior to the creation of the modern seminary system where men are formed for priesthood. Before seminaries, serving at the altar was part of an apprenticeship for priesthood. Fr. Lankeit’s decision was made primarily in response to the shortage of priestly vocations, since serving at the altar points very clearly to the specific vocation of priesthood.
He cites examples where limiting altar service to boys in the Diocese of Lincoln, Neb., and in Ann Arbor, Mich., has borne the fruit of many priestly vocations. The Diocese of Lincoln is considered a vocations “powerhouse.” In a single parish in Ann Arbor, in 2008, there were 22 new seminarians and five women in formation for religious life. The same parish is also home to 16 sisters in the Servants of God’s Love religious community.
The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, also based in Ann Arbor, are receiving so many inquiries from young women interested in entering the order that they cannot build facilities fast enough to accommodate the surge in vocations. Their order offers clear evidence that when the God-given differentiation between male and female is honored, both men’s and women’s vocations flourish.
The first girls to train in the Cathedral’s sacristan program are learning quickly, serving well and enjoying the important responsibility of sacristan. [And it is very important. No question.] The parish is coordinating with a contemplative women’s religious order to provide these young sacristans with a “come and see” event at their monastery and to learn from one of the sisters who served as the official sacristan of their mother house in Alabama.
Press Contacts:
Rob DeFrancesco
Director of Communications
rdefrancesco@diocesephoenix.org
(602) 354-2130
Coat of Arms by D Burkart
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