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{]:¬)

Are we now a nation of blatteroons?

Posted on 20 July 2013 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

When I take a break from movies with lots of explosions, I like period pieces. You can’t beat a well done production of a Jane Austen novel or just about any of the 19th century writers.

It happened the other day that I caught a few minutes of Pride and Prejudice, in one of those moments when someone entered a room where other people were. They stood and bowed or curtsied. People addressed each other with titles.

Too constraining?

On the other hand, are we becoming a society of cretins? A community of slubberdegullions? A nation of blatteroons?

The lack of formality, or decorum, must over time take its toll on us collectively.

No where is this more evident than in our churches.

My friend Msgr. Charles Pope has some good comments on reverence in church. HERE

Among other things he comments on women covering their heads, which always sparks discussion. And for good reason, because this symbolic gesture goes to the core of what I am talking about.

Do you give thought to what you wear to church? What your children wear?

Just to muddy the waters a bit, on that classic day when we all are obliged to go to church, does any formality follow you back to the family home, perhaps with a sit-down meal to be shared with proper manners?

ASIDE:

By the by, Msgr. Pope includes a video of the beginning of the movie True Confessions, which starts with a Solemn Nuptial Mass in the Usus Antiquior. I have a personal connection to this movie, because the very vestments used in that movie, those actual vestments and not vestments like them, were later donated to my home parish in St. Paul, St. Agnes. I have worn that chasuble quite a few times. And, yes, when the priest returned to the center of the altar, the deacon and subdeacon should not have been at an angle and the priest should have kept his eyes cast down for the Dominus vobiscum… but its Hollywood and that is about as close to accurate as you get with that lot.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Mail from priests, New Evangelization, O'Brian Tags, Our Catholic Identity, The future and our choices | Tagged decorum, Jane Austen, manners, Mass, Pride and Prejudice, reverence, True Confession
32 Comments

“brutal, cruel, ferocious and inhuman crimes”

Posted on 20 July 2013 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

On the Pro Life Wisconsin blog there is a good remind of how strong has been the Church’s teaching – not “policy” as many liberals, even catholics, claim – about abortion.

In 1588, Pope Sixtus V issued a Papal Bull, called Effraenatam, excommunicating anyone directly involved in abortion, and calling on civil authorities to punish abortionists severely. He uses strong language to condemn abortion, calling attacks on the unborn person “brutal, cruel, ferocious and inhuman crimes.” Here’s some more from the declaration:

Who will not condemn to a most grave punishment the impiety of him… who has deprived children of life before they could naturally see light or could be protected by maternal body from ferocious cruelty? Who will not abhor the cruelty and unrestrained debauchery of impious men who have arrived into such a state of mind that they procure poisons in order to extinguish the conceived fetuses within the viscera, and pour them out, trying to provoke by a nefarious crime a violent and untimely death and killing of their progeny? Finally who will not condemn to a most grave punishment the crimes of those who with poisons, potions and evil actions sterilize women or impede that they conceive or give birth by pernicious medicines and drugs?

We are willing to exterminate in our times also this evil as much as a We can by the strength given to Us by the Lord….

Plus ça change.

Speaking of reactions in the past, remember this? HERE

Posted in Emanations from Penumbras, Linking Back | Tagged abortion, Effraenatam, Pius V, Pro Life Wisconsin
10 Comments

DETROIT: “If I had a city….”

Posted on 19 July 2013 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Detroit has joined the ranks of the bankrupt.

When I have been driven around in Detroit I had a sense, in some neighborhoods, of what the Russians did to Berlin: looked like a war zone.

What caused the phenomenon “Detroit”, a great city reduced to catastrophe?

I suppose the city never quite recovered from the riots of the 1960’s. That may have accelerated the downward spiral from prosperity into bankruptcy.

In the meantime, the Obama Administration is doing nothing to help race relations. In fact, the Administration and the President himself seem intent on making sure there is growing tension.

This mordant image gets at part of the problem, in a darkly humorous way:

Today Pres. Obama held a presser, and few newsies showed up for it. Make up your own mind.

Are race relations in these USA getting better as Pres. Obama says? And could “relations” mean?

Is the President helping or harming? He buried the actual substance of the speech in his suggestion (at least) that the Justice Department wasn’t going to prosecute Zimmerman.

I listened to this and got the sense, through all the personal empathy, that this was a political speech to his base that reintroduced race afresh back into public discussion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14moCEtd4Og&feature=player_embedded

Posted in Brick by Brick, Dogs and Fleas, Liberals, Pò sì jiù, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged 1967, Detroit, Obama Administration, Pres. Obama, race relations, riots
56 Comments

PODCAzT 136: John XXIII opens Vatican II – ‘Gaudet Mater Ecclesia’ – optimism and naïveté, error and continuity

Posted on 19 July 2013 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

have wanted to do this for some time.

Today we have as our guest, Pope John XXIII. I read for you the whole of John’s address to the opening of the Second Vatican Council, a speech called Gaudet Mater Ecclesia, of 11 October 1962. We hear a little of the Latin too!

The whole speech is imbued with a sense of hope and optimism. John describes the situation of the Church in the modern world as he saw it the. He spoke about how the Council was announced. He describes in poetic terms what it felt like to be there in that moment, in the Vatican Basilica. The most important thing he said, however, was

The manner in which sacred doctrine is spread, this having been established, it becomes clear how much is expected from the Council in regard to doctrine. That is, the Twenty-first Ecumenical Council, which will draw upon the effective and important wealth of juridical, liturgical, apostolic, and administrative experiences, wishes to transmit the doctrine, pure and integral, without any attenuation or distortion, which throughout twenty centuries, notwithstanding difficulties and contrasts, has become the common patrimony of men. It is a patrimony not well received by all, but always a rich treasure available to men of good will.

Our duty is not only to guard this precious treasure, as if we were concerned only with antiquity, but to dedicate ourselves with an earnest will and without fear to that work which our era demands of us, pursuing thus the path which the Church has followed for twenty centuries. […]
… But from the renewed, serene, and tranquil adherence to all the teaching of the Church in its entirety and preciseness, as it still shines forth in the Acts of the Council of Trent and First Vatican Council, the Christian, Catholic, and apostolic spirit of the whole world expects a step forward toward a doctrinal penetration and a formation of consciousness in faithful and perfect conformity to the authentic doctrine, which, however, should be studied and expounded through the methods of research and through the literary forms of modern thought. The substance of the ancient doctrine of the deposit of faith is one thing, and the way in which it is presented is another. And it is the latter that must be taken into great consideration with patience if necessary, everything being measured in the forms and proportions of a magisterium which is predominantly pastoral in character.

He goes on to speak about how in dealing with errors in the past, the Church had often issued severe condemnations. Now, however, “the Spouse of Christ prefers to make use of the medicine of mercy rather than that of severity.”

Decide for yourselves how well that has worked.

Also, I found noteworthy for consideration in our own time:

She consider that she meets the needs of the present day by demonstrating the validity of her teaching rather than by condemnations Not, certainly, that there is a lack of fallacious teaching, opinions, and dangerous concepts to be guarded against an dissipated. But these are so obviously in contrast with the right norm of honesty, and have produced such lethal fruits that by now it would seem that men of themselves are inclined to condemn them, particularly those ways of life which despise God and His law or place excessive confidence in technical progress and a well-being based exclusively on the comforts of life. They are ever more deeply convinced of the paramount dignity of the human person and of his perfection as well as of the duties which that implies. Even more important, experience has taught men that violence inflicted on others, the might of arms, and political domination, are of no help at all in finding a happy solution to the grave problems which afflict them.

John’s speech rings with optimism about human nature.

If you have troubles listening through the imbeded player, which is a little twitchy, you can download it here or from iTunes.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Posted in Linking Back, Our Catholic Identity, PODCAzT, Religious Liberty, The Drill, The future and our choices, Vatican II, Year of Faith | Tagged Bl John XXIII, Gaudet Mater Ecclesia, John XXIII, podcast, PODCAzT, Second Vatican Council, Vatican II
32 Comments

Pope Francis is “We”

Posted on 19 July 2013 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Today Pope Francis established a new committee – because we needed another committee -the (take a deep breath) Pontifical Commission for Reference on the Organisation of the economic-administrative structure of the Holy See. HERE

So far what I like about this is that in the Chirograph (the personally hand written document) which establishes said committee, Francis used the Papal WE. For example:

A tale scopo, Noi abbiamo deciso … La Commissione svolge i propri compiti a norma del presente Chirografo e delle Nostre disposizioni operative… La Commissione Ci tiene informati sul suo lavoro e Ci consegna gli esiti dello stesso… Essa sarà sciolta su Nostra Disposizione.

What will the English have?

Will the translator respect the Holy Father’s HAND WRITTEN text, his clear desire to use “We”?

Bets?

Posted in Francis, Just Too Cool | Tagged chirograph, Pope Francis, royal we
11 Comments

Miracles and You. Wherein Fr. Z rants.

Posted on 19 July 2013 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

The Canonical Defender Ed Peters has been asking for prayers and even the intercession of God with a miracle for his injured son, blogger and good Catholic activist Thomas Peters. Thom is doing better but he has a long way to go. And what father would not ask these things? And who of us would not generously respond, especially in gratitude for how much they have done to help us all in learning and defending our Catholic faith and identity?

Since the issue of miracles came up, I repost here what I have written before about miracles HERE. The original post was about the 2nd authenticated miracle for St. Gianna Beretta Molla.

Saints are presented to us by Holy Mother Church for “the two I’s”: imitation and intercession.
As all Christians are called to imitate Christ, we also must experience self-emptying and the Cross, abandonment to providence and self-donation. We must be willing to lose everything.
We are not alone: the Church Militant and the Church Triumphant are closely knit, interwoven in charity. We on earth must intercede for each other and believe and ask for the intercession of the saints.
God makes use of the weak to demonstrate His might and love.
If we do not believe in miracles, we do not ask for them. If we do not ask for them, they will not be granted. [!]
Our life of faith is noticed by non-believers and they are not unaffected.
What a difference a bishop can make.
How often do you invoke the help of the saints and holy angels?
God’s ways are not our ways.
No one is too small to be an occasion of grace for others.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, New Evangelization, Our Catholic Identity, PRAYER REQUEST, Saints: Stories & Symbols, Wherein Fr. Z Rants | Tagged intercession, miracles
5 Comments

UPDATE on Thomas Peters, neck broken in accident, and REQUEST for prayers for a miracle

Posted on 19 July 2013 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Preamble: Thomas Peter’s broke his neck in a swimming accident. HERE He has some control of his arms so far. The well-known canonist Ed Peter’s, Thom’s father, has asked people to invoke the intercession of Servant of God Fr. Felix Cappello SJ (1879-1962). At the same time, Ed Peters is also, as he puts it, a fan of unprovable miracles, that it those miracles which in a cause for blessed or a saint we cannot use in a cause because we can’t show with moral certitude that a certain venerable or blessed was invoked.

When people directly involved with the sick or injured or endangered ask you to pray for intercession to a certain Servant of God or Venerable or Blessed, then please consider heeding their request.

When I post on this matter, people then start chiming in “And I’ll pray to my favorite Ven. Sr. Mary Ugthred of Poughkeepsie!” and others will say “Jesus, Mary Joseph and all the saints and angels, and especially Bl. Dilbert!” and others say, “Let’s all pray to the Holy Martyrs of St. Paul Seminary!”, or “Hey everyone, a really great saint to pray to about neck injuries is St. Gemma!”

While all prayers are welcome, and while we never want to instrumentalize the suffering of a person for the sake of cause, nevertheless in order to establish the intercession of a particular Servant of God, or Venerable, or Blessed in a miraculous healing or defense, it is necessary to demonstrate that that person was invoked. Get it? Not that person and everyone else under the sun.

If people surrounding the ailing person are all praying to Ven. Ashley, and their friends and parishes are praying to Ven. Ashley, and convents of nuns are praying to Ven. Ashley, and if the family is placing images and relics of Ven. Ashley under the sick person’s pillow, then it is easier to argue that Ven. Ashley interceded with God to obtain from God a desired miracle. But if some are praying to Sr. Mary Ugthred of Poughkeepsie, or some to Ven. Ashley, and some to Bl. Randi, and others to Servant of God Moronica, and if the family has the cards of dozens of saints and piles of relices, how do you establish the intercession of any one of them, much less Ashley?

Moreover, if none of the people you are invoking are, in God’s eyes, good candidates for our recognition, nevertheless our prayers are not empty.

So, if Ed Peters asks you ask the intercession of Servant of God Felix Cappello, you might consider doing exactly that.

Here is Ed Peters’ post. At the end, he himself talks about invoking whomever, but… hey! I’m just sayin’. You decide what you want to do, so long as you do something!

Please consider invoking Felix Cappello, SJ, for Thomas Peters
by Dr. Edward Peters

I tell my kids what my mom told me: to pray for the sick and the poor every day if only because any of us can find ourselves being either or both at any time.

As many of my blog readers already know, my oldest son Thomas (the American Papist) was seriously hurt in a swimming accident two days ago and remains in critical condition with spinal cord injuries at the University of Maryland Medical Center. He, his wife of three months Natalie, and our families are overwhelmed with the outpouring of prayers and support that we have received so far, and now I would like to ask a special favor.

Please consider invoking the intercession of Fr. Felix Cappello SJ (1879-1962), one-time Confessor of Rome and the greatest sacramental lawyer of the 20th century, for Thomas’ speedy and complete recovery. I draw on Cappello’s canonical works in almost everything I write—no joke, I am finishing a scholarly article right now that he provided the crucial insight for—but I never thought I’d suggest drawing on his intercession for one of my very own. Well, I am doing so now.

Naturally, if you have your own favorite go-to saints in urgent cases, by all means, go! But if you are looking for a suggestion, I’d offer Fr. Cappello.

And thank you.

That said:

I picked up from Ed Peters’ Facebook page:

It looks like no surgery, and Thom will go straight to a fixed halo. Docs are optimistic that pressure on spinal cord will reduce on its own. Lungs almost back to normal, so probably will start weaning from breathing tube today. That’s esp. good news, as Thomas cannot talk with tubing in, but does not yet have enough hand control to sign (Thom knows ASL from his sister Meg, of course). He is regaining sensation in his legs, and is wearing his glasses!

UPDATE:

From Ed Peters:

I’m waiting to hear how the halo fitting went, and, thinking about Thomas, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him make an “irreversible” mistake, if you know what I mean, nor have I ever seen him make the same mistake twice. So, Lord, let him walk away from this one, in Your good time, because I know he’ll never do it again, and neither will anyone else who is close to him and who has learned deeply from this single unconsidered act. And God, please bless my daughter-in-law Natalie who has suddenly had to shoulder far more than either of them could have dreamt possible.

Posted in SESSIUNCULA | Tagged causes of saints, Ed Peters, miracles, Thomas Peters
18 Comments

Tax reform, USCCB, Catholic Charities USA

Posted on 19 July 2013 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Our friend The Motley Monk has some observations about tax reform, the USCCB and government funding of charities. Here is the first part:

If you’re really interested in tax reform, the USCCB and Catholic Charities USA may not be…

A Wall Street Journal op-ed calling into question whether tax “reform” should disallow the deduction for charitable donations offers a nugget of data that Catholics interested in tax reform should carefully consider.

The “nugget” is the total amount of money the federal government is pouring into charitable programs sponsored by the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) and Catholic Charities USA (CC-USA). The op-ed notes:

Religious organizations also receive large infusions of federal funds. Catholic Charities USA receives more than half of its funding each year ($554 million in 2010) from federal grants. In 2012, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops received $63 million…in federal grants.

It’s difficult to unpack the exact numbers because the recipients oftentimes use multiple names. That said, the USCCB directly received $34,767,249 in the form of three awards in 2012. That’s 17.3% of its 2012 annual budget. CC-USA directly received $34,767,249 in 2012 for 21 contracts with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The President of the William Simon Foundation, James Piereson, who wrote the op-ed, stated:

These are reputable institutions, and many of the programs they sponsor are important. Nevertheless, in view of their dependence upon government funds, no one can seriously maintain that these groups are “independent.” Instead, they form one of the more powerful lobbying forces in Washington for increasing government spending, especially spending on tax-exempt groups.

Forget all of that “lobbying” to garner more federal largess which, in turn, only increases the federal tax burden on the less than 50% of U.S. citizens who pay income tax.

Bad as that is, all of that lobbying represents these organizations’ ever-increasing dependency upon the federal government to subsidize their “charitable” work. And that’s the problem: The government knows just how to pull those strings when it’s to the government’s advantage to do so.

[…]

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, The Drill | Tagged tax reform, The Motley Monk, USCCB, WSJ
18 Comments

Sister goes door to door asking Catholics to return to Mass

Posted on 18 July 2013 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Never underestimate the power of an invitation.

Once upon a time there were groups like Legion of Mary, which could canvass parish neighborhoods. Once upon a time, priests even walked about neighborhoods working on a census. Then again, parish neighborhoods were often ethnically concentrated, etc. etc. Neighborhoods were more self-enclosed, having small groceries, dairies, butchershops, hardware stores grouped on a corner every few blocks or so. Times have changed.

But this story is perfect for your Just Too Cool file.

From The Catholic Sun, newspaper of the Diocese of Phoenix, where Bp. Olmsted reigns.

Catholics Matter: Intrepid sister goes door-to-door inviting Catholics to Mass

That knock at the door might not be a sales person. Sr. Margery Therese Harkin, PVMI, with her soft Irish brogue and sparkling blue eyes, is out pounding the streets, looking for the lost sheep, even as the summer’s brutal heat beats down on her pale blue dress and veil.

Accompanied by seminarians or lay people, Sr. Margery visits homes, inquiring if there are any baptized Catholics in residence and inviting them to church. A religious sister belonging to the New-York-based Parish Visitors of Mary Immaculate, Sr. Margery said some of those whom she visits decide to attend her RCIA classes.

“We always tell them that the priest sent us,” Sr. Margery said. “Just as the Apostles were sent, we never go in our own name.”

She and two other sisters reside in a convent at Christ the King Parish in Mesa, but 30 hours a week, Sr. Margery is working to bring people into — or home to — the Catholic Church at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Phoenix.

This is her third year at the west-side parish and she estimates she’s visited about 4,000 homes. Previously, Sr. Margery worked in the neighborhoods surrounding Queen of Peace and St. Timothy in Mesa and St. Daniel in Scottsdale. She’s also trained teams of parish visitors in other states.

She doesn’t pressure people — she merely invites them and lets God do the rest.

In Florida, a woman answered the door and admitted she hadn’t been back to church in 30 years because something a priest did offended her. [I know this is a real thing. I have talked to people think this way, but – how dumb is that considering the loss of spiritual benefits? When people say things like this, I suspect there is some other reason.]

“We’re taught we have to listen,” Sr. Margery said of the encounter. “She needed to tell her story.” Though apprehensive, the woman decided to come back to the Church.

[…]

There is more there.

Fr. Z kudos to Sister.

I wonder what Sr. Simone and the bus-nuns would say about this.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Brick by Brick, Fr. Z KUDOS, Just Too Cool, New Evangelization, Our Catholic Identity, Women Religious | Tagged D. Phoenix, New Evanglization
40 Comments

Handy tool tip!

Posted on 18 July 2013 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

This has nothing to do with anything controversial for a change.

I just used my diminutive keyring-sized multi-tool to fix something and I thought I would share the joy.

This is the Swiss+Tech ST53100 Micro-Max 19-in-1 Key Ring Multi-Function Pocket Tool. (UK, a bit more expensive for you lot, click HERE).

I keep one of these clipped to my backpack.

It fits in the palm of your hand and weighs only about 59 g.

As opposed to the always useful Leatherman (sent from my wish list by a friendly reader here, thanks!) which comes in at 290 g.

You can put it on a key-ring, it being key-ring size, and all.

To attach it, you open up the tool and open the little pliers, close them around the ring to which you desire to attach the gizmo, and then fold it up on itself again.

Showing off.

As I mentioned, I attached one to a strap on the backpack which I use as my carry-on when travelling. TSA has never given it a second glance. Now that I think of it, I haven’t ever seen Taking Scissors Away even notice it.

And for anyone looking closely, I wrangle the dangling ends of those straps on the pack with these. HERE