Fr. Z's Blog | Catholic commentary by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

On the priesthood by St. John Chrysostom

Posted on 28 July 2011 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Today, looking for things about the Sanctus, I ran across this, which priests could incorporate into an examination of conscience:

From Book VI On the priesthood by St. John Chrysostom. My emphases:

4. […] What manner of man ought [the priest] to be? For my part I think that the boldness of speech of Moses and Elias, is insufficient for such supplication. For as though he were entrusted with the whole world and were himself the father of all men, he draws near to God, beseeching that wars may be extinguished everywhere, that tumults may be quelled; asking for peace and plenty, and a swift deliverance from all the ills that beset each one, publicly and privately; and he ought as much to excel in every respect all those on whose behalf he prays, as rulers should excel their subjects.

And whenever he invokes the Holy Spirit, and offers the most dread sacrifice, and constantly handles the common Lord of all, tell me what rank shall we give him? What great purity and what real piety must we demand of him? For consider what manner of hands they ought to be which minister in these things, and of what kind his tongue which utters such words, “And we pray and beseech Thee, send down thy Holy Ghost upon us and upon these gifts here outspread, and make this bread to be the precious body of thy Christ, and that which is in the cup the precious blood of Christ, having so changed them by thy Holy Spirit that to us who partake of them they may be for the cleansing of our souls, the remission of sins, the communion of the Holy Spirit.” [Liturgy of St. Chrysostom.] and ought not the soul which receives so great a spirit to be purer and holier than anything in the world? At such a time angels stand by the Priest; and the whole sanctuary, and the space round about the altar, is filled with the powers of heaven, in honor of Him who lieth thereon. For this, indeed, is capable of being proved from the very rites which are being then celebrated. I myself, moreover, have heard some one once relate, that a certain aged, venerable man, accustomed to see revelations, used to tell him, that he being thought worthy of a vision of this kind, at such a time, saw, on a sudden, so far as was possible for him, a multitude of angels, clothed in shining robes, and encircling the altar, and bending down, as one might see soldiers in the presence of their King, and for my part I believe it. […] And dost thou not yet tremble to introduce a soul into so sacred a mystery of this kind, and to advance to the dignity of the Priesthood, one robed in filthy raiment, whom Christ has shut out from the rest of the band of guests [Matthew 23:13]. [My Jesus, mercy.] The soul of the Priest should shine like a light beaming over the whole world. But mine has so great darkness overhanging it, because of my evil conscience, as to be always cast down and never able to look up with confidence to its Lord. Priests are the salt of the earth.

Posted in Our Catholic Identity, Patristiblogging, SESSIUNCULA, The future and our choices | Tagged angels, Fathers of the Church, On the priesthood, Patristics, priesthood, sanctuary, St. John Chrysostom
4 Comments

Oxford: a painting by Michelangelo indentified?

Posted on 28 July 2011 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

For your Just Too Cool file, comes this from CNS:

Jesuits at Oxford find painting believed to be by Michelangelo

A painting of Christ’s crucifixion believed to be the work of Michelangelo has been hanging in the residence of a small Jesuit community at Oxford for more than 70 years.

Purchased at auction by the Campion Hall community in the 1930s, the painting was believed to be the work of Marcello Venusti, one of Michelangelo’s 16th-century contemporaries. But recent tests revealed that the work was indeed created by the Renaissance painter, reports the National Jesuit News.

The discovery was made by historian and conservationist Antonio Forcellino, who used infrared technology to uncover who he believes is the true creator of the painting.

BBC News reported that the residents were both excited and concerned by the find — excited because they had something very special in their midst, but also concerned that the piece was too valuable to continue hanging on a wall in their residence.

So the work of art has been removed and sent to the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology at Oxford University for safekeeping, according to the Jesuits.

Posted in Just Too Cool, SESSIUNCULA | Tagged Camion Hall, Jesuits, Just Too Cool, Marcello Venusti, Michelangelo, Oxford
6 Comments

QUAERITUR: Giiving a gift to the priest after a baptism

Posted on 28 July 2011 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader:

Do you recommend giving a stipend to the priest and/or parish when an infant is baptized? If so, how much is a good amount?

This is the old question of “stole fees” which I have presented on this blog before, such as here, about weddings – more complicated and time consuming.

I cannot recommend any set amount since I don’t know your circumstances or the priest. But I can say this. You may give Father something if you want to. I also doubt Father will be expecting it.

Priests have expenses in order to live and they appreciate an unforeseen gift. I sure do. It raises the spirits. Deacons, who do many baptisms these days, often have families to raise, and things aren’t getting easier in that regard.

That said, it may be that the local diocese has a policy about “stole fees”. You might want to check into that. Also, it may be that the priest would prefer a donation to the parish. You should ask around where you live.

Perhaps some of the readers can chime in with what they have given their priests or deacons. Or bishops! They can baptize too!

Posted in ASK FATHER Question Box, Linking Back, Non Nobis and Te Deum | Tagged stipends, stole fees
22 Comments

Archbp. Sambi, Papal Nuncio to the USA – R.I.P.

Posted on 27 July 2011 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

CNS is reporting that the Holy See’s Nuncio to the USA, His Excellency Most Rev. Pietro Sambi, has died.

He was 73 years old.

Please, in charity, remember him in your prayers, asking God in His mercy to bring him into His presence without delay.

Posted in SESSIUNCULA | Tagged Archbp. Sambi
15 Comments

Relief for the famine in Somalia?

Posted on 27 July 2011 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Relief for the famine in Somalia? Does anyone know of Catholic agencies which gets aid to Somalia.. aid that isn’t diverted to some faction but actually gets to people?

Catholic Relief Services is functioning in Kenya, which is taking in refugees from the famine in Somalia.

From CRS:

A Catholic Relief Services team is on the ground in the Eastern Kenyan town of Dabaab, home to a sprawling refugee camp that sees some 1,300 people arrive each day from drought-stricken Somalia, only one of the countries in East Africa where hunger and the threat of malnutrition are the daily reality for 11 million people.

I saw a couple stories on the famine and they are enough to tear your heart.

Pray for rain. There is a Mass formulary in the Missale Romanum for prayers for rain. When I have an open day, I will use those texts.

If we don’t pray for miracles, ask God for miracles, they won’t happen.

Posted in Pray For A Miracle |
11 Comments

A giant SPACE SNAKE is going to swallow the Earth! Wherein Fr. Z rants!

Posted on 27 July 2011 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From Space Weather:

BIG SUNSPOTS: After more than a week of quiet, solar activity is picking up with the emergence of two large sunspot groups on the sun’s northeastern limb. The active regions are crackling with C- and M-class solar flares. So far none of the eruptions has been squarely Earth directed, but that could change in the days ahead as solar rotation turns the sunspots to face our planet. Visit http://spaceweather.com for images and more information.

Okay… it was about sun spots and solar flares, not a giant space snake.

This is a good opportunity to repeat a question I have offered before in different ways:

Since a very large solar flare can create an EMP (Electro-Magnetic Pulse) which could strike the earth, and since strong EMPs can fry electronics, would you be ready? Would you know what to do for yourself and your loved ones?

It is prudent to think about such things and to have plans. I am mindful of the poor people in Joplin, MO, and Tuscaloosa, AL and many other places where people suffer suddenly from natural or man-made disasters. If tornadoes, however, are bad for a relatively small group of people, a massive earthquake, such as that which produced the tsunami that struck Japan, or QUOD DEUS AVERTAT, an EMP, either from the Sun or from the detonation in the wrong place of a nuclear weapon, … these could catastrophically change life on the entire planet. What would happen if, suddenly, all the electronics of a whole region, hemisphere, the whole world, suddenly became useless. Think about how life would change.

At any time we could encounter something really bad, even devastating. We have to think about these things, not obsess, but consider, and have a plan.

That plan has to include – and this gets me to my deeper point – frequent confession.

For centuries Catholics prayed in the Litany of Saints, and still do when the Litany is used, “from a sudden and unprovided death, deliver us O Lord”! We don’t know the day or the hour.

“But Father! But Father!”, some of you may be saying. “You ask this once in a while. Do you want to scare the hell out of us?”

Yes.

Or to put it another way, I want to scare us out of hell. Would it be better to persuade you gently out of hell by urging you to love God and therefore avoid sin? Sure. Love is a higher motive for sorrow for sin than fear of punishment. But if the scare works or the fear gets you to try something new, I’ll take it.

As baptized people of faith and disciples full of hope in the Lord’s promises, we have every reason to be buoyant even as we ponder the hardships of life, even catastrophes.

On a lighter note, these flares might cause some really cool Aurora Borealis!

And don’t forget to stock up on Mystic Monk Coffee. I’d do it now, too. Believe you me. One of these days you’ll thank ol’ Fr. Z. You can sip your Mystic Monk or use it for barter! “Mystic Monk?”, your trader will say. “Good as gold! Here, have some ammo.” Get a hand crank grinder or two. The coffee or tea from the Wyoming Carmelites will really be swell when the world’s economy dies and you are in your bunker trying to survive the looters and packs of starving abandoned dogs.

Posted in "But Father! But Father!", Global Killer Asteroid Questions, Look! Up in the sky!, TEOTWAWKI, Wherein Fr. Z Rants | Tagged barter, EMP, Litany of Saints, Mystic Monk Coffee, solar flares, sun spots, TEOTWAWKI
37 Comments

Surprise at being quoted by an unexpected publication

Posted on 27 July 2011 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Here’s a a surprise that came at me the other day. The folks who put out the SSPX newsletter in the USA asked for permission to reproduce one of my blog posts. Remember that post on 10 Points about prospective priests? It seems that the editor of the SSPX letter thought it worthwhile and positive. I had no idea what they were going to do with it, but I am happy to cooperate with and talk with those who give me a sense that they have good will and will be fair-minded.

Here are the 10 Points again. Keep in mind that in my original blog post, I said that a religious priest friend of mine sent them to me. They aren’t mine by composition, except where I edited a couple in a minor way, but I did embrace them.

1. Prospective priests (Religious or Diocesan) are not looking primarily for community life, as we live it. They are looking for a Church-related mission that they believe in.
2. Prospective priests want to know what the Pope teaches, not what the U.N. teaches.
3. Prospective priests do not want to sit around with older “veterans” and listen to the latter whine about the Pope, Rome and the bishops.
4. Prospective priests are not in favor of women’s ordination. Period.
5. Prospective priests do not want to attend Masses that resemble hootenannies, Quaker meetings, or Presbyterian services.
6. Prospective priests are not ashamed of the Pro-life movement, they’re for it.
7. Prospective priests do not want to hear their brothers mock the Pope and gripe about liturgical norms.
8. Prospective priests do not want to study at theological unions/seminaries that are embarrassed by Catholic teaching.
9. Prospective priests know that Vatican II was not the only, or even the most important, Ecumenical Council.
10. Prospective priests are not embarrassed by Marian devotion, and are seen praying the Rosary.

Here is what the the SSPXers wrote with my emphases and comments:

“Father Z” [Fr. John Zuhlsdorf] is a far cry from the neo-modernist pastors and prelates who are still suffering from the traumatizing effects of the revolution of Vatican II. [I suspect that not all the readers of the SSPX newsletter will agree. But go on…] His insights into contemporary priestly formation are literally rejuvenating.

New blood is running through the Church’s veins. There is now being formed a generation of seminarians and young priests whose outlook on the Church has raised neither taboos nor barricades around the “wonders of the Conciliar Church.” [Keep in mind that the formation has shifted a great deal in seminaries because both the seminarians have become more conservative and, necessarily, as the old guard passes the “formators” have too.] They are observers of a humiliated Church. [That is reading into a bit, but … go on…] They are simply trying to understand how we got where we are. They are objective, open to all sides, but they will not take some things for granted! Maybe now is the time for open dialogue. [Do I hear an “Amen!”?]

The “10 commandments” [Hmmm… I was being descriptive rather than prescriptive, but I can’t help but agree that seminarians should want to know what the Pope teaches, should have a Marian devotion, etc.] of the modern day seminarian give a profile of the future Church quite distinct from what we have seen since the 1960’s. These men are serious about their spiritual and doctrinal training. They want to worship God, not man. And they are attached to Rome, not to Americanist leaders whom they judge to be virtually schismatic. [I don’t think I used the phrase “virtually schismatic”.] If this is not light at the end of the tunnel, it certainly shows signs of hope in an otherwise dark age in both the Church and world. [A positive ring.]

To finish, we may invite these promising seminarians—and “Fr. Z”—to read about the history of the changes in the Church in the 20th century. Vatican II merely opened the floodgates to a false liturgical movement and a watered-down doctrinal teaching. Compare the New Catechism to that of Trent; contrast the Old Mass to the New; read the writings of the pre-conciliar Popes in addition to those who came after the Council. [Not to mention during the Council. Right?] See if the Society of St. Pius X is justified in claiming that there is a discontinuity. Against the facts, there is no argument… [Openness goes two ways, of course. The SSPX has to be open to the idea that on many points of their concerns, there is adequate continuity and then starting moving towards greater obedience towards the Roman Pontiff.]

The USA District thanks Fr. Zuhlsdorf for his consent to publish this commentary about his blog post cited below. [I didn’t consent to their commentary. But I consented to the reproduction of the 10 Points.]

A nice surprise. I am rather used to being vilified by liberals, but also by some of the really hard-core traditionalists, too. It is nice to see that someone in the SSPX thought my offering had some merit. I don’t remember seeing anything like that from the other end of the spectrum. Sad. Maybe I’m wrong. In any event, as I said before, I am happy to cooperate with and talk with those who give me a sense that they have good will and will be fair-minded.

And bring on the open, fair-minded dialogue!

Posted in Just Too Cool, New Evangelization, Our Catholic Identity, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged 10 Points about prospective priests, seminarians, SSPX
18 Comments

Tomb of St. Philip the Apostle discovered in Turkey’s Denizli

Posted on 27 July 2011 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From World Bulletin, a source I haven’t heard of, comes a story from the Turkish news agency Anadolu
via a reader:

Tomb of St. Philip the Apostle discovered in Turkey’s Denizli

The tomb of St. Philip the Apostle, one of the original 12 disciples of Christianity’s central figure Jesus Christ, has been discovered during the ongoing excavations in Turkey’s south-western province of Denizli.

Italian professor Francesco D’Andria, the head of the excavation team at the Hierapolis ancient city in Denizli, told reporters on Tuesday that experts had reached the tomb of St. Philip whose name is mentioned in the Bible as one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus.

Professor D’Andria said archeologists had been working for years to find the tomb of the Biblical figure, and finally, they had managed to reach the monument while working on the ruins of a newly-unearthed church in Hierapolis.

D’Andria said the structure of the tomb and the writings on it proved that it belonged to St. Philip the Apostle, who is recognized as a martyr in the history of Christianity.

Describing the discovery as a major development both for archeology and the Christian world, D’Andria said the tomb, which had not been opened yet, was expected to become an important Christian pilgrimage destination. [May the world and the region be peaceful so that it may be so!]

Hierapolis, whose name means “sacred city”, is an ancient city located next to the renowned Pamukkale, white Travertine terraces, in Denizli province. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The city, famous for its historical hot springs used as a spa since the 2nd century, is a mixture of Pagan, Roman, Jewish and early Christian influences.

Ancient tradition associates Hierapolis with St. Philip the Apostle, who is believed to have died in the city around 80 AD. The follower, who is known as the apostle who preached in Greece, Syria, and Phrygia, is said to have been martyred in Hierapolis. The legend is that St. Philip was crucified upside-down or martyred by beheading.

After the apostle’s death, an octagonal tomb named “The Martryium” was erected for him where he is believed to have been martyred.

As I understood it, the remains of St. Philip had been translated at some point from Hieropolis to Rome, where they were interred with those of James the Lesser in the Roman basilica Santi Dodici Apostoli, the Basilica of the Twelve Apostles.

A quandary!

We shall see how this works out.

Fascinating, no?

Posted in Just Too Cool | Tagged Denizli, Dodici Apostoli, Hierapolis, St. Philip the Apostle, Turkey, Twelve Apostles
5 Comments

QUAERITUR: morning sickness and the Eucharistic fast

Posted on 27 July 2011 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader:

I’m fairly early in my pregnancy yet, but I’ve been getting sick if I don’t eat regularly — about an hour is my max time before I get queasy. Unfortunately, that’s a little less than how long Mass lasts and the minimum for fasting before Communion. I’m fairly sure I can break the fast because I’m pregnant with morning sickness (right?), but do you (or any readers) have any suggestions for doing it politely? Would I be in danger of causing scandal by stepping out to have a cracker or two, especially when I don’t look obviously pregnant?

First, congratulations.

Some basics for some of the readers who may not be up to speed.

Latin Church Catholics are bound to fast for 1 hour before reception of Holy Communion, not 1 hour before the beginning of Mass.

We have to be properly disposed to receive Communion. Since we are both soul and body, we have to be disposed in both soul and in body. We are disposed in our souls when we are baptized, in union with the Church, not under a censure, are reasonably sure we are in the state of grace, and believe and are aware of what we are doing. The disposition of body is addressed through the fast.

The 1983 Code of Canon Law says in can 919 §1: “One who is to receive the most Holy Eucharist is to abstain from any food or drink, with the exception only of water and medicine, for at least the period of one hour before Holy Communion” However, §3 says that elderly people, those who are ill, and their caretakers are excused from the Eucharistic fast. Of course, in the case of danger of death, the fast obviously doesn’t apply.

Moreover, can. 89 says that priests and deacons cannot dispense someone’s obligation for the Eucharistic fast unless the bishop has expressly granted them to do so. But if you are really feeling ill, the law itself says you are not bound, so you needn’t consult or ask anyone. You are entirely free to make the call yourself.

So, if you are feeling sick, that is, you are ill, then according to can. 919 you are not bound to the Eucharistic fast. You may eat something and still receive.

As to a way to get up discretely and go out for your crackers… hmm… some people do this to have a smoke …. I can’t easily advise you, since I don’t know you or your church. But I should think that sitting in the back, near a door, and at the end of a row might be better than in the center of the front pew beneath the pulpit. Just go quietly.

Also, do avoid the blaze orange chapel veil we were talking about in another answer, unless all the women – or at least quite a few – are also wearing blaze orange chapel veils.

A couple more things.

Having never been pregnant, I cannot speak from experience of morning, but I have from time to time in the morning been ill, nauseous from the flu or other bug during Mass, even as the celebrant, and it has taken some real effort to keep going. I have real sympathy. It is entirely understandable if you really have to go out, but if you can make it through, perhaps you can offer up your suffering for a good intention. I have a couple, if you are looking for something to pray for.

Also, while it sounds as if you can still receive Communion even if within an hour you had eaten something to relieve your illness, it is not obligatory to receive Communion at any Mass. If you are at all concerned about whether you were sufficiently ill to have needed to eat something, etc., you don’t have to go forward if you don’t want to. I think you could. You shouldn’t beat yourself over the head with this or be filled with any anxiety about the choice. Go freely, so long as you are reasonably sure you are in the state of grace, and will keep down for a reasonable time the Host you receive.

I doubt anyone will look at you funny even if you are not yet “showing”. I seriously doubt that anyone will be scandalized by your going out. People have to go out from Mass for all sorts of reasons. And some old hands might figure out why you are going out!

Above all, relax. Mass isn’t the rack.

I am sure the women readers here will have some sage advice about this.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Our Catholic Identity | Tagged can. 89, can. 919, morning sickness
35 Comments

A cardinal’s diary recording the 2005 conclave?

Posted on 27 July 2011 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Pray for the Holy Father!

The intrepid Andrea Tornielli on his Vatican Insider of the Italian daily La Stampa has a story about a “diary” kept during the 2005 conclave which elected Benedict XVI.

If there really is a diary, then the conclavist, if he gave this diary to someone, violated the Pontifical Secret imposed on participants.

In any event, here is a taste of the piece, which is available in English.

The unpublished narrative of Conclave 2005
Andrea Tornielli
Vatican CITY

Sunday, 17 April. This afternoon I took a room at Casa Santa Marta. Setting down my bags, I tried to open the shades, as the room was dark, but it was impossible. One of my brothers had the same problem, and asked for help from the sisters in charge. He thought it was a technical problem. The sisters explained that the blinds had been sealed shut. Seclusion of the Conclave….A new experience for nearly all of us: out of 115 cardinals, only two had previously participated in the election of a pope….

With these words begin the “secret diary” of the conclave that led to the election of Benedict XVI on 19 April 2005 – the confidential, hand-written notes of an anonymous cardinal upon returning to his room after voting in the Sistine Chapel. This remarkable document, published in the journal Limes, allows a step-by-step reconstruction of the balloting process, raising the veil of secrecy that, by the will of the Popes, has always covered the conclave. From the cardinal’s notes obtained by the journal, we learn first of all that Ratzinger’s candidacy was extremely strong from the beginning.

[…]

You can read the rest over there.

Among other things, it contradicts another report that the liberal-leader, retired Card. Martini had played a strong role in brokering a quick election, a story I heard soon after the election.

A couple things. I am not familiar with the journal Limes, but a search for the journal turned up”LIMES. Borderland Studies”, which figures, since Latin limes was the frontier between the Roman-controlled territory and the Germanic tribes.

Journal description: Research journal “Limes” publishes original peer reviewed papers concerning such fields of the humanities and social sciences as philosophy, science, history and sociology. Also, the journal unites three educational establishments representing three countries: Vilnius Gediminas Technical (Lithuania), University of Bialystok (Poland), Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno (Belarus) and Culture, Philosophy and Arts Research Institute

The languages mentioned in the description might point roughly to the region of the writer of the diary.

An aside about limes, the boundary between the Romans and the northern barbarians. The limes was roughly the Rhine and Danube. You can visit quite a fee archeological sites and museums about the limes if you are traveling by car in Europe. It is worth the effort. On of them, if memory serves, is at Xanten, where St. Norbert was from and where there is a partial reconstruction of a legion’s castra. In any event, the limes marked a real border of enduring cultural differentiation. For example, on one side, the peoples still tend to cook more with butter or olive oil and on the other lard. One side used wine and the other beer. One side remained Catholic while the other went Protestant. Some of these differences depend also on climate, but the ancient Roman limes marks a rough cultural boundary even to this day.

And that, friends, is perhaps more interesting than the story of a diary which may or may not be the real deal.

Back to the issue of the Pontifical Secret imposed on participants in a conclave.

In John Paul II’s Universae dominici gregis, which legislated the guidelines for a papal conclave and election, we find:

58. Those who, in accordance with the prescriptions of No. 46 of the present Constitution, carry out any functions associated with the election, and who directly or indirectly could in any way violate secrecy — whether by words or writing, by signs or in any other way — are absolutely obliged to avoid this, lest they incur the penalty of excommunication latae sententiae reserved to the Apostolic See.

59. In particular, the Cardinal electors are forbidden to reveal to any other person, directly or indirectly, information about the voting and about matters discussed or decided concerning the election of the Pope in the meetings of Cardinals, both before and during the time of the election. This obligation of secrecy also applies to the Cardinals who are not electors but who take part in the General Congregations in accordance with No. 7 of the present Constitution.

60. I further order the Cardinal electors, graviter onerata ipsorum conscientia, to maintain secrecy concerning these matters also after the election of the new Pope has taken place, and I remind them that it is not licit to break the secret in any way unless a special and explicit permission has been granted by the Pope himself.

61. Finally, in order that the Cardinal electors may be protected from the indiscretion of others and from possible threats to their independence of judgment and freedom of decision, I absolutely forbid the introduction into the place of the election, under whatsoever pretext, or the use, should they have been introduced, of technical instruments of any kind for the recording, reproducing or transmitting of sound, visual images or writing.

It may be that a Cardinal who has died since the conclave leftr behind a diary someone found. Who knows.

You decide.

In the meantime, do pray for the Pope we have now!