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{]:¬)

ASTEROID “2012 KT42”? WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE!

Posted on 29 May 2012 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Space Weather News for May 29, 2012

ASTEROID FLYBY: A small asteroid is flying past Earth today inside the orbit of geosynchronous satellites and only 14,000 km above the surface of our planet. Named “2012 KT42,” the 3- to 10-meter wide space rock ranks #6 on the top-20 list of known close-approachers to Earth, which makes it significant despite its small size. More information and images may be found on http://spaceweather.com .

Imagine something like this crashing into a populated area… perhaps one with a nuke plant.

That’s why we should all refresh our coffee supply with…

[CUE MUSIC]

… Mystic Monk Coffee!

Learning about asteroids flybys makes you wonder, doesn’t it?

You start wondering, “What aren’t they telling us?”

There could be, even now, a globe-killing fiery death asteroid hurtling at us RIGHT NOW.

So, relax and enjoy some swell Mystic Monk Coffee.

“But Father! But Father!”, you might be saying. “I don’t have any Mystic Monk Coffee!”

No problem.

On a more serious note, I hope you all will sit down and think about what you would need to do, how to find your family, what to eat and drink, for a few days, how to stay safe, treat minor injuries, and get out of dodge if there were an emergency in your area.

Also, ask yourself how long it has been since you made your last good confession. We don’t know the day or hour, friends. Bad things happen like bolts of lightning from the blue to unsuspecting people all the time. Just turn on the news and watch for a few minutes. Pick up the paper. Turn on the radio. Examine your consciences carefully and go to confession regularly. Make confession part of your routine, along with mowing the lawn, washing the car, paying your bills, doing the laundry, hoovering the floors. Make an examination of conscience part of your daily routine, like fixing supper, doing the dishes, locking your doors at night. If you check your email, shouldn’t you check your sins of omission and commission? If you don’t want to wear filthy clothing, why walk around with a dirty soul?

Even though “2012 KT42” may not strike the earth today (if you believe them)…

…. you are going to die. Get ready for that.

Posted in Global Killer Asteroid Questions, GO TO CONFESSION, Just Too Cool, Lighter fare, Look! Up in the sky!, TEOTWAWKI, Wherein Fr. Z Rants |
24 Comments

CDF publishes the 1978 norms about apparitions and private revelations

Posted on 29 May 2012 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has been doing their job. They have published … get that? … published… something that has been around awhile.

“Norms regarding the manner of proceeding in the discernment of presumed apparitions or revelations”

From VIS:

atican City, 29 May 2012 (VIS) – The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith recently published its “Norms regarding the manner of proceeding in the discernment of presumed apparitions or revelations”, translated into various languages. The document was approved by Pope Paul VI and issued by the congregation in 1978 though it was not then officially published as it was principally intended as a direct aid for the pastors of the Church.

Over the course of the years the document has appeared in various works dealing with the subject in question, although without the authorisation of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith which is the competent authority in such matters. Since the contents of the Norms are already in the public domain, the congregation believes it is now opportune to publish them.

The publication is accompanied by a preface written by Cardinal William Joseph Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, extracts of which are given below.
“In the Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the Word of God held in October 2008, the issue of the problems stemming from the experience of supernatural phenomena was raised as a pastoral concern by some bishops. Their concern was recognised by the Holy Father Benedict XVI, who inserted the issue into the larger context of the economy of salvation in a significant passage of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation ‘Verbum Domini’. It is important to recall this teaching of the Pontiff”.

“As the Fathers noted during the Synod, the uniqueness of Christianity is manifested in the event which is Jesus Christ, the culmination of revelation. … He Who ‘has made God known’ is the one, definitive word given to mankind. … The Synod pointed to the need to ‘help the faithful to distinguish the word of God from private revelations’ whose role ‘is not to complete Christ’s definitive revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history’. The value of private revelations is essentially different from that of the one public revelation: the latter demands faith; in it God Himself speaks to us through human words and the mediation of the living community of the Church.

“The criterion for judging the truth of a private revelation is its orientation to Christ Himself. If it leads us away from Him, then it certainly does not come from the Holy Spirit, Who guides us more deeply into the Gospel, and not away from it. Private revelation is an aid to this faith, and it demonstrates its credibility precisely because it refers back to the one public revelation. Ecclesiastical approval of a private revelation essentially means that its message contains nothing contrary to faith and morals; it is licit to make it public and the faithful are authorised to give it their prudent adhesion. A private revelation can introduce new emphases, give rise to new forms of piety, or deepen older ones. It can have a certain prophetic character and can be a valuable aid for better understanding and living the Gospel at a certain time; consequently it should not be treated lightly. It is a help which is proffered, but its use is not obligatory“.

“It is my firm hope that the official publication of the ‘Norms regarding the manner of proceeding in the discernment of presumed apparitions or revelations’ can aid the pastors of the Catholic Church in their difficult task of discerning presumed apparitions, revelations, messages or, more generally, extraordinary phenomena of presumed supernatural origin”.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, The Drill | Tagged apparitions, CDF, private revelation
20 Comments

A new Archbishop for Denver

Posted on 29 May 2012 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Denver has a new Archbishop: His Excellency Most Rev. Samuel Aquila, formerly of Fargo.

We have read about him quite a few times here.

You may remember that during this round of ad limina visits, the Holy Father received well certain propositions that Archbishop Aquila made about the ordering of the Sacraments of Initiation. HERE.

I am confident that you will stop and say a prayer for Archbp. Aquila.

Posted in The Campus Telephone Pole | Tagged Archbp. Aquila, Archd. Denver
44 Comments

More beautiful art from Daniel Mitsui! Five new color prints, including Pentecost, Christ the High Priest (think “ordination gifts”!)

Posted on 29 May 2012 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I have written several times about the art of Daniel Mitsui.

For Mr. Mitsui’s site click HERE.

He has sent me a few more things, this time from a series of drawings for the Holy See’s Vox Clara Committee (the translation liaison with the Congregation for Divine Worship) for use as illustrations in the interim edition of the Roman Pontifical.

The originals, he informs me, were in colored calligraphy on Bristol board in a style influenced by 15th century panel paintings, tapestries and incunabula from N. Europe.

Here is a view of the Pentecost scene.

A detail. I am using my iPhone.

St. Augustine is at the top right.

The Last Supper. You see the words Hoc est enim corpus meum in the corners and there are prefigures on the edges.

There is so much going on and each element is well thought out and well attested in the history of art.

Judas doesn’t get a halo, but he has his bag of money.

The wise virgins seems squared away. They have nice bright lamps and are properly dressed for the wedding banquet and the Bridegroom. There is nice angel with them.

The foolish virgins… not so much. No flames, poorly dressed. They get a creepy devil and some large critter which looks quite willing to chomp on them.

This is what I imagine the LCWR Assembly is like.

Christ the High Priest seems appropriate for today!

A detail of the Lord’s feet. Notice the elements on the globe. Subtle. Very cool.

I think we could have a little discussion about what all that means.

I am shooting through the plastic cover, btw.

The Presentation.

The Crucifixion.

They are all 8.5″ x 11″ color glicee prints using pigmented inks on acid-free rag paper.

He is selling them for $80 each or $320 for the set of five, plus shipping.

The print of Christ the Priest would be an EXCELLENT gift to a newly ordained priest or to a priest or bishop for his Jubilee.

The Presentation would be a nice gift to a woman religious.

I am sure you could find other occasions or reasons. For example, someone interested in the charismatic movement might like Pentecost. The Crucifixion would be good as a private devotional picture in a place where you habitually pray. The Last Supper would be good on the wall of a dining room in a family home. Individual prints or a set could be donated to a parish for an auction.

Think of your own!

Mr. Mitsui’s site is HERE.

Posted in The Campus Telephone Pole | Tagged Daniel Mitsui
32 Comments

QUAERITUR: I don’t know if the priest gave me a penance during confession. Are my sins forgiven?

Posted on 28 May 2012 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader:

Father,
I went to Confession this weekend and the confessor was a man with a very thick [FOREIGN] accent. On top of that, while pronouncing the absolution he seemed… a little out of it (that sounds like a bit much to me, but it’s the best way I can describe it). He ended with ‘thank you, have a nice day’ before I had a chance to say an Act of Contrition, and I also couldn’t tell if he gave me any penance (in hindsight, I should have asked, but I was rather surprised by the brevity of the exchange, and it was also only my third confession; I prayed 1o Hail Mary’s just in case).

My question, then, is whether the Rite of Reconciliation requires the act of contrition by the penitent or the giving of a penance by the confessor (cf. can. 981)?

I love this. It was your third confession and you quoting canon law like a vet. Well done! I like informed Catholics.

I have written before about the matter of validity of absolution even if you do not do the penance assigned during confession. HERE.

Nevertheless, it is clear in the Latin Church’s law that the confessor is to give penances. If he doesn’t give one, the absolution is still valid.

That said, let’s go over a few things.

We are obliged to do penance for sins that we have committed. This is a matter of justice.

That said, the imposition of a penance is not required for validity of the absolution. In normal circumstances it should not be omitted. I can envisage situations when I as confessor would not give a penance, as when I am absolving an injured teen in an overturned car while the emergency teams are cutting it up with the saw to get him out. Another moment might be when I have, with some difficulty, heard the confession of native Hmong speaker having only a few words in English or French, with no translator or even book to point to. Rather than make the situation an ordeal, a confessor might just be confident in the penitent’s sincerity, absolve, and send the frustrated fellow on his way, satisfied that the confession itself was a penance.

Also, some confessors keep track of the penances they give penitents and then do them themselves afterward.

In the situation you describe, considering the linguistic difficulties, it may well have been that the priest imposed a penance but you did not understood.

In normal circumstances, when you are not sure about the penance and you and the confessor are communicating reasonably well,. you can always ask for a clarification when in doubt. “Father, I didn’t understand the penance. Could you repeat it, please?”

But that’s water under the bridge at this point.

People will, once in a while, forget the penance that was assigned. This can happen when some well-meaning priest assigns one of those loopy, long, open-ended penances, such as, “Read the seventh chapter of the Second Book of Kings and spend some time under an elm tree counting ladybugs while you think about the impact your use of fossil fuels has on the environment.”

In those cases, just substituted some good work, as you seem to have done.

Going to confession the next time you could say that you didn’t do an assigned penance because you didn’t understand it, forget it, couldn’t do it.. whatever… and that you, instead, substituted 10 Our Fathers and 10 Hail Marys.

In the meantime, rest confident in the fact that your sins were forgiven. You can receive Communion without any qualms on that point of the penance.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000 | Tagged absolution, act of contrition, can. 981, confession, penance, sacrament of penance
12 Comments

Is it easier to pray in your car in the parking lot than in church before or after Mass?

Posted on 28 May 2012 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Today on the digital, full version of the UK’s best Catholic Weekly, The Catholic Herald (to which you can subscribe from anywhere in the world), I found a good letter to the editor, an image of which I post, below:

“But Father! But Father!”, some of you are saying, “This fellow sounds like an old curmudgeon. Isn’t church our Father’s house? Shouldn’t houses be filled with life and activity and, yes, the chatter of the Father’s children? Vatican II said we ought to talk in church! You are mean and so is he. We are Church and community no matter what you papist throwbacks want. You hate Vatican II and I’m a Eucharistic Minister!”

In the face is such reasoned objections, how can I respond?

I’ll bet YOU can!

Posted in "But Father! But Father!", "How To..." - Practical Notes, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Our Catholic Identity, The future and our choices |
73 Comments

France: Muslims enter church, throw rocks during mass

Posted on 28 May 2012 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I picked this up from the blog Etheldreda’s Place of frequent commentator here, Supertradmom.

You know, these days there just aren’t enough girls being named “Etheldreda”.

In any event, take a look at this, which I lifted from the aforementioned. Go visit there, too:

Pay attention Christians in France–you voted for this…

[…] France: Muslims stone Christians in church during mass

No one will take much note of this. It is just one story among the thousands that together tell the tale of France’s decline and Islamization. Eurabia Update: [Eurabia was not coined by the provocative Oriana Fallaci, but she popularized the term…] Here is my translation of “Carcassonne Des fidèles caillassés pendant la messe à Saint-Joseph,” by Yannick Bonnefoy in Midi Libre, May 27 (thanks to David):
Carcassonne: The faithful stoned during Mass at St. Joseph

Yesterday at 6:20PM, as Fr. Roger Barthes began to celebrate mass, four youths, aged 14 to 18, broke into the Church of St. Joseph, before launching handfuls of pebbles at 150 faithful present at the service. Immediately, men began pursuing the young troublemakers, but in vain. They managed to vanish into thin air, heading towards the city La Conte.
Interrupted by regrettable unexpected event, Mass was finally able to proceed as planned. Although no one was injured and nothing was broken in the church, located along the Avenue Jean Moulin, the parishioners, many of whom are elderly, were greatly shocked by the disrespectful act of the youths of North African origin….

and from a comment on the website, “North African origin”—read, “Muslim”.

Carcassonne has been under Muslim conquest before. In 725, the Wali Ambisa took the city following the Islamic conquest of the Visigoth kingdom of Spain. The city remained in the hands of Muslims until 752, when it was freed by the Franks led by Pippin the Short.

Can you imagine the crazy hell that would break loose if some Christian kids had thrown rocks at Muslims in a mosque during prayer?

“But Father! But Father!”, some of you Fishwrapers are saying, “Pebbles? Really? You are going to make a big deal about young people throwing pebbles? Muslims “stone” Christians? Really? Exaggeration!”

When someone has rocks thrown at her, she is being stoned. Pebbles are rocks. Young people grow up. When they do, they can throw grown up rocks.

If these little darlings are willing to go into a church to do this, and not even just stand outside before or after Mass, they are already well on the way to being radicalized. A young person, impressionable, passionate, these days often dumb, can be convinced by someone to press a button.

Most liberals don’t get what is happening in some parts of Europe. There are areas of some cities where the police will no longer go without serious, practically military, support.

Sts. Nunilo and Alodia, pray for us.

Posted in The future and our choices, The Last Acceptable Prejudice | Tagged Carcassonne, Islam, Sts. Nunilo and Alodia
26 Comments

Very Cool Stuff: A dad and IRLP (that’s Ham Radio lingo) and panning for gold

Posted on 28 May 2012 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

As some of you know, I have been studying for my Ham Radio license. I am squared away with the Technician’s License material and could do that exam at any time, but right now life is really – excuse the pun – up in the air. I decided to delay it. In the meantime, I am acquiring some Morse Code skills and soaking in the General material.

In digging around on the internet about Ham Radio I found useful videos from a couple good YouTube sources. One of them is USNERDOC, a man in Oregon who is still a fairly new ham (KF7ETX) and is also interested in preparedness. His handle suggests that he was in the Navy, perhaps is in the reserves, and is in emergency medicine. He has, as a matter of fact, a cottage company dealing with emergency medicine. He has become part of a volunteer network of ham operators who could help out in the case of an emergency, such as a natural or man made disaster. His videos are really helpful, because he explains what he is doing and how he does it. Also, he often uses a handheld radio which one of you readers gave me.

I have had the growing idea of taking a few emergency medicine courses and then perhaps connecting with one of these volunteer ham networks (which are everywhere). It could be good to have a priest involved for those Really Bad Times not to mention TEOTWAWKI.

QUAERITUR: Will it be even easier for the newly formed Civilian National Security Force to hunt me down when the the First Gay President becomes President for Life? At the rate our first freedoms are being eroded by this administration, and with the global economy the way it is, and after what I have written and said and what I stand for …. Okay, enough with that digression.

In any event, below is a video USNERDOC did which shows how he used his little handheld radio with an external mag-mount antenna (the type you could put on your car) affixed to a metal cookie sheet (yes, you need to put in on a metal surface for it to work properly), to RF to a repeater and then using internet radio linking connect to another ham who, in turn was connected by RF to a repeater. Very cool. He mentions that this could be useful where cellphone signals are weak (which is a problem in some places, you know, despite what the commercials say).

I also love the fact that, as a father, he is introducing his son to really cool stuff (including panning for gold!) and is enjoying his son’s enjoyment immensely. He just can’t help going off on a tangent about his son because he is just so jazzed about what the kid is doing. How great is that?

It is important for kids to be exposed to Very Cool Stuff. It sparks their imaginations and expands the interests way past the horizon.

In any event, here is the video. If you are not into the subject matter, you can at least enjoy that he is a mensch.

73s

[wp_youtube]CyoVCXP4pKY[/wp_youtube]

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Ham Radio, Just Too Cool, TEOTWAWKI | Tagged Ham radio, IRLP, KF7ETX, mensch, USNERDOC
11 Comments

7 October: Sts. John of Avila and Hildegard of Bingen to be proclaimed Doctors of the Church

Posted on 28 May 2012 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From VIS:

ST. JOHN OF AVILA AND ST. HILDEGARD OF BINGEN TO BE PROCLAIMED DOCTORS OF THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH

Vatican City, 27 May 2012 (VIS) – After celebrating Mass this morning in the Vatican Basilica for the Solemnity of Pentecost, the Holy Father appeared at the window of his study to pray the Regina Coeli with pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square.
Before the Marian prayer the Pope announced that on 7 October, at the start of the Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, he will proclaim St. John of Avila and St. Hildegard of Bingen as Doctors of the Universal Church. “These two great witnesses of the faith lived in very different historical periods and cultural environments”, he said. “Hildegard was a Benedictine nun during the height of the German Middle Ages, a true master of theology and a great scholar of the natural sciences and of music. John was a young diocesan priest of the Spanish Renaissance, who participated in the travails of the cultural and spiritual renewal of the Church and society at the dawn of the Modern Age”.
The sanctity of their lives and the profundity of their doctrine mean that these two saints “retain all their importance. The grace of the Holy Spirit enabled them to experience profound understanding of divine revelation and intelligent dialogue with the world, two factors which represent the perennial goal of the life and activity of the Church”.
St. John and St. Hildegard are particularly significant on the eve of the forthcoming Year of Faith, and in light of the new evangelisation to which the Synod of Bishops will be dedicating its attention. “Also in our own day, and through their teaching, the Spirit of the risen Lord continues to make His voice heard and to illuminate the path which leads to the Truth, which is the only thing that can make us free and give full meaning to our lives”, the Pope said.

[…]

Another item to update in the traditional Roman calendar!