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{]:¬)

“Sisters for Obama?” Oh… that’s not… right… no….

Posted on 20 January 2013 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

My stomach turned as a I saw on the site of WaPo some photos of the preparation for the inauguration of the President – you know the one – tomorrow.

'Sisters for Obama' ( Brendan Smialowski / AFP / Getty Images / January 13, 2013 ) A pin with a nun on it is seen at the official Presidential Inaugural Committee's gift shop in Washington, D.C.

No no no. That’s just wrong.

I’d like to know who paid for these and how they are being distributed like this by the Presidential Inaugural Committee.

UPDATE:

I was reminded in a comment, below, about the great scene in Galaxy Quest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=i8lrfRwNlfs

Posted in Liberals | Tagged Presidential Inaugural Committee, WaPo, Washington Post
42 Comments

Stan the Man – R.I.P.

Posted on 19 January 2013 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I learned just now that Stan “the Man” Musial died, at the age of 92.

Today it seems no one stays in one place anymore, as Joni might put it. That holds true for baseball players and pastors of parishes. But Musial spent his entire career of 22 years with the St. Louis Cardinals.

He was an amazingly consistent hitter, having exactly, imagine it over 22 years, the same number of hits on the road as at home, 1815! He had 1951 RBIs and 1949 runs. He never struck out more than 50 times in a season. He led the NL in at least one category each year. He made the All-Star team 24 times. When he retired he had 55 records.

On his final day, Musial hit one past shortstop Pete Rose, who 18 years later broke Musial’s own record of 3630 hits.

One could go on and on about Stan Musial, but above all he was know as a Catholic gentleman. I remember watching the TV coverage of John Paul’s visit to St. Louis in 1999 and seeing the great reverence Musial, also Polish, demonstrated when he met the Pope. As a matter of fact it is said that His Holiness had Musial and his wife Lil to supper with him when they visited Rome and Musial was instrumental in getting the Pope to come to St. Louis.

In his biography by Joseph Stanton, we read,

“Stan, by all accounts, adored his wife Lil and pointedly refused any and all offered opportunities to be disloyal to her. Many have noted his dedication to church attendance. He was (ed. is!) a Catholic who did not think it acceptable to miss Mass. One of Stan’s children reported to Giglio that among the few things their father could be stern about were instances when family members wanted to allow sleepiness to get in the way of getting up for church. Musial’s disciplined concentration was, no doubt, undergirded by his faith. Not overtly religious outside of church, Stan was, nonetheless, spiritually disciplined at the bat and in his life. Concentration was always key.

Stan was married to Lil for almost 72 years. She died at 91 in May 2012.

Consistency, concentration, Catholicism.

Requiescant in pace.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Four Last Things | Tagged baseball, Stan Musial
23 Comments

Big Roman Numerals

Posted on 19 January 2013 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I recently saw that someone had listed his phone number in Roman numbers, probably to avoid spam-calls. Creative!

Also, not entirely easy to do, especially when the last four digits are pretty high.

Ancient Roman numerals don’t go very high. The ancients had a hard time imagining big numbers. A Roman would say that a countless bunch of things was “600”. Today, on the other hand, the Obama Administration has the opposite problem, but with trillions.

So, just as we solved the problem of symbols for liturgical texts, versicle and response, HERE, how about some of the Roman numerals from the Medieval period, such as the V with a bar over it to signify 5000?

For example, in the famous song there is the number

867-5309

One way would be: DCCCLXVII-MMMMMCCCIX – clunky with all those M’s, or … well… I don’t know the code for the character that looks like a V with a bar over it, but for backward C Perhaps U+2184 – (࢈) A number like the one in the other song, 777-9311 could be a real mess. We need a symbol for 10,000 such as 2182 (ࢆ) – thus with 2182 DCCLXX-M(&#2182)CCCII. No? And that other one with 2181 could be shorted to (&#2181)CCCIX. No? They are not displaying for me.

Any ideas?

UPDATE:

Second try…:

Perhaps U+2184 – ࢈ A number like the one in the other song, 777-9311 could be a real mess. We need a symbol for 10,000 such as 2182 ࢆ – thus with 2182 DCCLXX-MࢆCCCII. No? And that other one with 2181 could be shorted to ࢅCCCIX. No? They are not displaying for me.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Lighter fare | Tagged roman numerals
20 Comments

YOUR URGENT PRAYER REQUESTS

Posted on 19 January 2013 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Please use the sharing buttons! Thanks!

Continued from THESE.

I get many requests by email asking for prayers. Many requests are heart-achingly grave and urgent.

We should support each other in works of mercy.

As long as my blog reaches so many readers in so many places, let’s give each other a hand.

If you have some prayer requests, feel free to post them below. You have to be registered here to be able to post.

But, registered or not, please take a moment to pray for the people about whom you read here below.

Finally, I have now three serious personal petitions. Yes, three.

Posted in PRAYER REQUEST, SESSIUNCULA |
38 Comments

VIDEO: Altar Boys

Posted on 19 January 2013 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

My friend Fr. Stephen Reynolds in Sugar Land, Texas has been doing some great things.

Here is the latest in some videos about worship and the life of the parish.

[wp_youtube]EXIWMh7v3Kg[/wp_youtube]

Fr. Z Kudos to Fr. Reynolds!

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Fr. Z KUDOS, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Our Catholic Identity | Tagged altar boys, ars celebrandi, liturgy, servers, worship
22 Comments

Is Pont. Comm “Ecclesia Dei” building a bridge to the SSPX?

Posted on 18 January 2013 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Our friends at Rorate picked up something from Riposte Catholique (in French). Apparently, the Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei” sent a letter to the General House of the SSPX in Menzingen, Switzerland. The letter is signed by the PCED’s Vice-President Archbishop Augustine DiNoia, OP.

A taste:

Abp. Di Noia therefore proposes a new, spiritual, approach. He asks both parties to move forward, each one for their part, to an examination of conscience focused on humility, docility, patience, charity. [Do I hear an “Amen!”? – On both sides, by the way.] The SSPX considers that this cannot exclude, considering the doctrinal questions at stake, the strict confession of faith. Especially considering that the dismantlement of faith, catechesis, sacramental practices adds weight to their considerations. Conversely, it is true, one could say that the continued degradation of the situation of the Catholic faith is a pressing invitation [to the SSPX] to leave their splendid isolation, and join the official rescue corps in the very spot of the accident. [As I have been hoping for years.]

An outline of the concrete solution is left, surely on purpose, somewhat uncertain by Abp. Di Noia. He recalls en passant that Rome expects from Bp. Fellay a response to the document that was given to him last June 14. But, besides that, he proposes to the SSPX a process that could be qualified as transactional:

– On the one hand, the SSPX would find anew the positive charism of the first years at Fribourg and Écône (it would try to reform what can be [reformed], first through the formation of traditional priests and by preparing them for a teaching in conformity with their formation). [They could be helpful, but I suspect they also have a lot of catch-up reading to do.]

– On the other, the SSPX still considering that certain passages of the teaching of Vatican II cannot be reconciled with the preceding Magisterium, it could discuss it, as long as it: [here goes…]

– abstains as a matter of principle from [discussing them in] the mass media; [good]

– does not establish itself as a parallel magisterium; [like the Magisterium of Nuns!]

– always presents the objections in a positive and constructive manner [good]

– bases all its analyses on deep and wide theological bases. [good]

More will come forth about this, but this is positive.

Benedict XVI is the Pope of Christian Unity.

And @Pontifex means “bridge builder”.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Benedict XVI, Brick by Brick, Magisterium of Nuns, New Evangelization, Our Catholic Identity, Priests and Priesthood, SSPX, SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM, The future and our choices, Vatican II, Year of Faith | Tagged Archbp. DiNoia, PCED, Pontifex, Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei", Pope of Christian Unity, SSPX
40 Comments

The a-maze-ing Sinsinawa Dominicans

Posted on 18 January 2013 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Rather like an image from a painting by Salvador Dali. No?

There is a Wisconsin blogger at Laetificat who, once she gets her teeth into something, she really chews on it. For example, the other day I linked to her post about the movie/documentary screened at the motherhouse of the Sinsinawa Domincans (wierd) about the glories of being a liberal woman religious HERE).

Laetificat, after her visit to Sinsinawa, picked up on something Karl Keating wrote about the Sinsinawa labyrinths.

Yes, labyrinths. Remember them?

For years some of these confused people have been walking around in circles.

Here is a taste:

Just when you think the New Age movement has faded into 1980s oblivion, you learn something like this. [Sort of like one of those madcap TV sitcom’s set in a previous decade, ain’t it.] The Sinsinawa Dominicans is a women’s order located in southwest Wisconsin, just across the Mississippi River from Dubuque, Iowa. Its Sinsinawa Mound Center includes a 750-seat auditorium, retreat facilities, meeting rooms that hold up to 400, and walking trails.The order sports not one but two labyrinths:”The labyrinth is an ancient spiritual tool, founded as early as 200 B.C.E. Its history includes use in Crete, Tibet, Greece, Celtic spirituality, early European art, and in the Christian tradition. It is a spiritual tool and an effective metaphor for life’s journey for believers of all traditions.””The indoor labyrinth is available for walking most days.” The outdoor labyrinth “consists of 6,000 limestone bricks placed end-to-end to form a perfectly round circle encompassing the symmetrical path walkways to the center. Walking the quadrants in this peaceful atmosphere among the natural surroundings enhances one’s meditation experience, usually exceeding expectations of the labyrinth.” [?!?](How appropriate that the Sinsinawa Dominicans were unable to bring themselves to use “B.C.” Too overtly Christian, I guess.)

No wonder they don’t have any vocations.

I have a theory. You remember their Sr. Donna Quinn? See my exposé NUNS GONE WILD! She is an advocate for legalized abortion who as late as 2009 escorted women to abortion clinics in the Chicago area so they could abort their babies safe from pro-life protesters. Talk about labyrinthine logic. Could it be that constantly walking around in circles on one of these things got her so dizzy that she couldn’t remember who she was?

UPDATE 19 Jan:

A priestly reader sent me this with the message:

I chuckled at the post about the labyrinth and had to send you this picture from my travels in the wilds of mainstream religious life.

Posted in SESSIUNCULA | Tagged D. Madison, labyrinths, Sinsinawa Dominicans, Sr. Donna Quinn
67 Comments

QUAERITUR: Do I say an “Amen!” in the 1st Eucharistic Prayer? POLL

Posted on 18 January 2013 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Novus Ordo: optional

From a reader:

I have not spent too much time observing the four Eucharistic prayers but I recall that, particularly in the Roman Canon / Eucharistic Prayer I, the priest has the option of saying “Through Christ our Lord. Amen.”

Are the people supposed to say the Amen, as is commonly heard, or is it reserved for the priest?

Good question.

Usus Antiquior: quiet and not optional

First, the Roman Canon (1st Eucharistic Prayer) is probably not commonly heard in many parishes. I suspect that younger priests are bring it back. It is hard to say how many use the traditional though optional (in the Novus Ordo) “Through Christ our Lord. Amen.”

Second, in the traditional manner of recitation of the Roman Canon, in the older form of the Roman Rite, the text “Through Christ our Lord. Amen.” comes several times and it is not an option. The priest must say it and no one responds. The Canon is silent, of course.

In the Novus Ordo version of the Roman Canon, there are no rubrical indications that the congregation is supposed to join the priest in saying “Amen” in that optional conclusion. I also did not see anything in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal.

I conclude that, no, people are not to say “Amen” with the priest if he opts to use that conclusion in the Novus Ordo.

That said, I can’t see much harm being done by people saying “Amen”. I, for one, if I have to say Mass in English, use only the Roman Canon and I use that optional conclusion. Sometimes I hear some people quietly “amening” in the pews. Fine.

Frankly, we should just go back to a silent Canon and have done with the options.

Do I hear an “Amen!”?

Let’s find out.

Here is a little poll. Please pick your best answer and, if you are registered to comment, add your explanation, below.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, POLLS | Tagged 1st Eucharistic Prayer, Amen, Do I hear an "Amen!"?, GIRM, options, poll, Roman Canon
52 Comments

Dogs in church – an interesting case

Posted on 18 January 2013 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Haven’t we all seen the movie or TV show or read the book in which our hero is protected by his faithful but mortally wounded dog? Our hero – incredibly tough and even sometimes cold-blooded, now weeping has to put his own dog out of its misery?

Here is a story in The Telegraph that underscores the strange bond people have with their dogs, seemingly unlike the connection you humans have with any of your planet’s other critters.

Dog turns up to dead owner’s church every day
Two months after his owner died, a dog in Italy keeps turning up each day at the church she used to attend.

By Nick Squires in Rome

Ciccio, [“Pudgy”] a 12-year-old German shepherd, waits in vain in front of the altar of the Santa Maria Assunta church in the village of San Donaci in the southern region of Puglia.
He heads to the church as soon as the bells begin to ring each afternoon, just as he did for years when his owner was alive.
The woman, who was known in local dialect as “Maria tu lu campu” – “Maria of the fields” – died suddenly in November.
Ciccio attended the funeral, following his mistress’s coffin as it was carried into the church.
The dog’s devotion has so impressed villagers that they have adopted him as their own, giving him food and water and letting him sleep in a covered area outside the church.

The local priest, Donato Panna, allows him to sit in front of the altar during Masses, baptisms and other services.
He is now hoping to find a new home for the faithful hound.
His behaviour is reminiscent of Greyfriars Bobby, a Skye Terrier who became famous in Edinburgh for spending years guarding the grave of his owner.

I suppose this will bring up the whole “dogs in church” thing.

There is nothing per se wrong with an animal in a church, but the risks to the place’s sacral character are obvious. This, blessing of animals on certain days… in church… nooooo. Do it outside! We just had the feast of St. Anthony the Abbot yesterday. Years ago I stood outside a church in Velletri, Sant’Antonio Abbate, with my holy water bucket and blessed pigs and horses. In church? Not so much.

But, as hard-hearted as I am, I think I would give Ciccio a pass.

Posted in Just Too Cool, Lighter fare, Our Catholic Identity | Tagged animals in church, dogs, loyalty
53 Comments

@Pontifex Project: Week 3

Posted on 18 January 2013 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I missed last Tuesday. Since today is one of the two days per week when the Roman Curia is open in the evening, let us have Tuesday today.

I suggested a project using Twitter HERE. Let’s create a “stack” of tweets during the day. Concentrate your effort on a day and single theme instead of various scatterings over days when they might not be noticed.

I often use Echofon to tweet, a plugin for Firefox. I also use Tweetdeck. Makes it easier.

If some of you want to offer other language versions, post below.

Here is the collective tweet for FRIDAY, 18 January 2013. Copy. Paste. Repost. Retweet.