Francis says he's getting rid of diocesan Latin Masses in order to foster unity in the Church. Evidently, this is an example of what Francis sees as unifying liturgy pic.twitter.com/K3oFdsTgwU
— Michael J. Matt (@Michael_J_Matt) November 24, 2023
Pretty clear, isn’t it?
We are our rites.
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Meanwhile, white to move and mate in FIVE.
1. Bg8 Kxg8 2. Rh8+ Kxh8 3. Qh3+ Rh5 4. Qxh5+ Kg8 5. Qh2#
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.
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At the Sinquefield Cup in St Louis, its draw draw draw, which statistically, given these players, is not a shock. Jan-Krzysztof Duda withdrew from the tournament due to health issues, and his round-1 game will be taken out of consideration for the final standings. Nepo and Fabi had strong chances yesterday but, nope. I think it was Fabiano who said in an interview that – I paraphrase – their brains are mush. They just had the Rapid and Blitz before this. It must be grueling.
In other chessy news Vladimir Kramnik says he has been studying statistics which suggest to him, so he is suggesting to the world, that top players like Hikaru Nakamura are cheating in online blitz. There is now a Twitter war which is getting sharp. In one video short I saw Hikaru opine that Kramnik is “Full of [SYNOD]”. Heating this up is Nepo, who reposted Kramnik’s veiled accusation, thus incurring the wrath of the Naka. Magnus didn’t waste the chance to poke at Hikaru. He posted a screen shot of Hikaru losing a bishop, quipping: “Wins all these online events, yet doesn’t know how pawns capture? Interesting.” Hikaru trolled him back, “I know you don’t know how the knight moves, I was hoping you didn’t know how the pawn moves too!! 
” They play against each other a lot.
As a matter of fact in 2021 one of the funniest chess things I ever saw was when they “Double Bongclouded” each other.
SCHOLION: The Bongcloud Opening is 1. e4 e5 (standard King pawn opening) 2. Ke2. ??? King – e2? The idea is that this is such a bad move that you would have to have been smoking dope to make it. Super GM’s have used the Bongcloud and won in serious games.
Ahhh… admit it your day couldn’t have been complete without chess news, controversy and hilarity. Will the hijinx ever end? That’s the 64 Square Question.
From the Catholic Herald:
Argentina’s new VP attends Latin Mass, sympathises with SSPX and opposes abortion
Following Argentina’s presidential election on Sunday 19 November, won by libertarian so-called “anti-Pope” economist Javier Milei, its new vice-president has taken flak in the media for her traditional Catholic views and practices.
Victoria Villarruel, 48, who was elected with the recent victory of her running-mate Milei, has been described as a member of “a marginal and ultra-conservative Catholic faction” and someone who engages in “secret rituals” (the ancient Latin liturgy) by the Argentine press. [Described so “by the press”. That settles that!]
She particularly drew criticism for her reported attendance of a Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) chapel in downtown Buenos Aires, with critics drawing particular attention to the fact that the SSPX was once home to (now-expelled) Bishop Richard Williamson who is an accused holocaust-denier. [Sounds like what “critics” would do… pull up something entirely irrelevant. Would they report that when Francis was still there he helped the SSPX get official status?]
Attention has been given to her position as honorary president of the Tridentine Foundation for Classical Values. [Catchy!] The group not only shares its name with the form of the liturgy she is known to attend, but also promotes “classical knowledge” such as the study of Greek and Latin alongside “strengthening in values and virtues” in education and the defences of the traditional family unit and life from the moment of conception.
[…]
Too bad she wasn’t a US-born citizen!
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The “Remureine Column” found where Romulus may have killed Remus.
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Meanwhile, here’s an easy one.
White to move and mate in two.
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.
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From time to time I peddle courses from Remote Chess Academy. This fellow has helped my game. RCA will have a “Black Friday” Sale from 24-26 November with discounts up to 80%. For every $50 names are entered in a lottery for 5 winners of the “Super Pack” (which is essentially the kitchen sink).
In St. Louis – sad in its oppression of traditional Catholic worship, but happy in its promotion of chess – at the Sinquefield Cup tournament, there were only 8 players yesterday because Jan-Krzysztof Duda was ill. He was to play Richard Rapport who in his own turn was wiped out by a full day of travel to get there. Postponed. All games were draws.
From The Federalist:
St. Louis Archdiocese Closes Thriving Traditional Latin Mass Parish
[…]
As a result of all those meetings and focus groups, St. Barnabas, a growing Traditional Latin Mass parish with children consisting of 35 percent of the congregation, zero debt, and a pastor who is not a part of the archdiocese, and therefore not taking away priestly resources from any other parish, was ordered by the archbishop to shutter its doors.
St. Barnabas has been subsumed by a parish less than two miles down the road called Assumption. This means that the Assumption parish will take control of St. Barnabas’ building, territory, and finances, including the nearly $600,000 in St. Barnabas’ bank account, in accordance with Canon law. Right now, the Assumption parish is running a deficit of more than $500,000 due to renovation expenses, which can be paid down once it gains control of St. Barnabas’ funds.
Now with St. Barnabas closed, anyone looking to attend a Latin Mass will have to drive more than 30 miles into the city to the Oratory of Sts. Gregory and Augustine’s or St. Francis de Sales — a trek that parishioner Susan Cooke said her 89-year-old mother couldn’t make.
“It’s sad to lose St. Barnabas itself,” Cooke said. “You know the property, it’s terrible that we’re going to be losing that, but it’s even more terrible that we won’t have a Latin Mass in St. Charles County anymore.”
In his decree letter, Rozanski cited St. Barnabas’ celebration of the Latin Mass according to the Roman Missal of 1962 as being in violation of orders from the Vatican.
“The faithful who prefer such celebrations of the Holy Eucharist have become the greater part of the worshiping assembly at Saint Barnabas Parish, and Pope Francis by motu proprio Traditionis Custodes art. 3 has instructed that territorial parochial churches are not suitable for such celebrations,” the decree stated.
[…]
With their new Benedictine monk Fr. Dolce, St. Barnabas introduced two more weekend Mass times and a daily Mass. This year, the average attendance at its Latin Masses is 283 at both Sunday services — filling the church to 80 percent capacity. Since Oct. 1, 2022, St. Barnabas’ church attendance has gone up by 34 percent, according to Murphy.
[…]
What does the Archbishop want for that place? That it be a center for Hispanic ministry.
[…]
Some question if this Spanish language-only parish will stay afloat. According to U.S. Census data, only 4 percent of the population in St. Charles County is Hispanic. And the archdiocese already has four parishes that serve the Hispanic community with Spanish-language Masses as well as English-language Masses
[…]
Friends, brace yourselves. This will get worse before it gets better.
You must stay strong in your Catholic Faith no matter how badly your bishops treat you.
We are not exempt from the Passion.
There are enough emails in my box asking me my take on the resignation of Michael Voris from Church Militant to merit a post.
CM issued a statement that Michael was asked to resign for breaching their “morality clause”.
Michael Voris posted his own explanation on Twitter/X.
God Love You pic.twitter.com/SBRFDP9vKD
— Michael Voris (@Michael_Voris) November 21, 2023
Michael’s video statement contained some pretty dark implications, about which we can guess, but which haven’t been disclosed. Some radical healing is in order.
I’ve had concerns about the whole of Church Militant for a while. I made a choice not to watch most of what pops up in my various feeds.
That’s now apart from this new development with Michael, whom I’ve known and had been personally cordial with over the years.
To use a cliche, the Church isn’t a museum of the perfect, but a “field hospital” for sinners. The analogy limps a bit because while field hospitals are mostly concerned with wounds inflicted by external forces, while the Church also treats sheer victims, she treats mostly the self-inflicted wounds from sin. It’s still a useful image.
Field hospitals, set up for disasters and battles, are temporary places. The Church Militant is temporary. This isn’t the end of the battle, it is the midst of the battle. In battle we struggle against human frailty and the fog of war.
At a field hospital, after the icy process of triage, there is screaming and stench. People are patched up so that they can be moved elsewhere. There follows continued care, rehab, counseling.
Another fact of a field hospital is that some people don’t make it out alive.
Not everyone in the Church is going to be saved.
How about you? Are you presuming upon God’s friendship?
From battlefield medic, to field hospital, to trauma center, to rehab, to counseling there are various stages of brutal horror along with heroic wonder. In its gruesome challenge there is also beauty, mystery.
We should be humble when we are witnesses to this process.
Not a one of us hasn’t needed and doesn’t need mercy.
We are going get justice from God whether we want it or not. Mercy, however, is ours but we have to ask for it.
People are so swift to desire for others what they imagine as “justice”. Our Lord wants us to be contrite of heart and merciful.
My take on Michael’s video? It’s not just an admission of faults and wounds, but also a request for mercy, at least in the form of prayers and some understanding about human fragility.
In my view, in this march upcountry in the present Church Militant we have “man down”… a “man overboard”. This requires an immediate response of that which is salvific rather than betrayal. You don’t keep sailing, you throw a rope and heave to. You don’t leave your brother in the ditch, you grab his arm and pull him to safety.
Already I’ve seen the ugly starting on Twitter, etc., lots of people piling on, railing at and about him, etc. It seems to me pretty vile to kick a man when he is at a spiritual low point and struggling to rise. Some of what I’ve seen written so far from the trad side…
I’ll just remind you of what Our Lord explained about forgiveness, the only thing in the Our Father He went back to explain. If you do not forgive, you will not be forgiven. PERIOD.
Examine your own consciences.
If you have some real problem with Voris, then your best bet is to pray for him and offer willing mortifications for his benefit.
I ask Our Blessed Mother to cover him with her protective mantle. I ask St. Michael to protect him from spiritual and temporal harm. I ask St. Joseph to banish demons from his struggles. I ask Christ the High Priest to cover him with His Precious Blood and to bring him healing and peace.
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Try this one…
White to move. White’s in serious trouble, so think fast!
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.
Meanwhile, in St. Louis the Sinquefield Cup is underway, the last of the Grand Chess Tour. This is classical: 90 for 40 moves, then 30 plus 30 sec increment. 1st place $100K. 2nd $65K. Over the whole tour Fabiano Caruana is leading. Yesterday, however, all games were drawn. Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Anish Giri were a move short of checkmating each other.
Hanging out before the day’s action are Nepo (2771), Anish (2752) and my guy Wesley So (2752). These guys have been playing against each other for years and they know each other well.
Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2734) and Levon Aronian (2727). They both usually appear to have just rolled out of bed having slept in their clothes, though Levon mostly sports flashy shirts. This is definitely no longer the days of suits and ties… which they should reclaim!
Photos from chess.com
Action continues today with Round 2.
The St. Louis Chess Club was founded by entrepreneur Rex Sinquefield, 79, who has had quite a life. He is a devout Catholic and serves on the Cathedral’s board. Part of his childhood was spent in a Catholic orphanage. He was in seminary for a while in St. Louis, served in the Army, and majored in business at St. Louis University and University of Chicago. As a philanthropist he funded the School of Music at U of Missouri and has been a director of the St. Vincent Home for Children along with many other local cultural concerns. The Chess Campus is spectacular. He was a strong player who thinks that chess can help transform young people. I’ve actually thought about uprooting and moving to the Central West End of St. Louis. Maybe in better times.
Speaking of moving…
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Black to move and name in 3.
1… Rh5+ 2. gxh5 g5+ 3. fxg5 hxg5#
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.
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A couple weeks ago, I brought to your attention a 4 November piece at Catholic World Report by Fr. Robert McTeigue, SJ, which commented on the “Eucharistic Revival” which is underway under the impulse of the bench of bishops. Fr. McTeigue pointed out a serious difficulty in advancing a “Eucharistic Revival” without also striving to revive the Sacrament of Penance, confession. It makes sense, no? What sort of revival would it be were the number of sacrilegious Communions to increase even beyond what the horrifying numbers are now?
Right after, on 7 November, the CEO of the National Eucharistic Congress, Inc. (I’m not making that up), Tim Glemkowski, responded to Fr. McTeigue with an emotional defense. I debated getting into that piece here, with some “zisking”, but … the efforts for “Eucharistic Revival”, though perhaps a bit narrow, are nevertheless worthy and I didn’t think embarrassing this fellow was up to the mark. Besides, I knew in my bones that Fr. McTeigue would respond to the response.
Today at Crisis, Fr. McTeigue does indeed respond to Mr. Glemkowski.
Thus he begins…
[…]
Briefly, regarding form: I taught my rhetoric students that when an interlocutor begins his response expressing concerns about “tone,” keep your eye on his substance—because that’s where the weaknesses are most likely to be found. If he had the stronger argument, he wouldn’t focus on “tone.” I note that your first principal concern was about “tone.”
[…]
Fr McT defends his having actually read the relevant site and materials and having done a word search for “confession”, which one might rather naturally do, but for which he was criticized.
The Crisis piece is polite but vigorous. It may not be easy for Mr. Glemkowski to find his way back to his corner.
One chunk worthy of immediate attention…
[…]
I had already looked at the video you referred to (second introductory video for the Parish Year). Notice the conditional language in the video. A parish “could” offer extra opportunities for confession. A whole list of “coulds” were listed as options—confession was not referred to as a necessity. It was listed as one option among many. In other words, in terms of the evaluation of your argument, your reference to this video undermines rather than supports your cause.
It’s true that the Leader’s Playbook calls for “fidelity to the texts and rubrics of the Church.” Tim, what’s your basis for thinking that even “Parish Leaders” could name what those texts and rubrics are? What’s your basis for thinking that parishes on “liturgical autopilot” for decades will conform to liturgical law just because the Leader’s Playbook suggests it?
Will the Philadelphia parish that sang the Eagles fight song at Mass on Super Bowl Sunday readily conform? Will the parishes that use Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion even when such aren’t needed, readily conform? The parishes singing the heretical “Mary Did You Know?” at Christmas every year “because people really like it”—will they readily conform? Do you believe that they will do so because of the small print regarding liturgical fidelity that can be found in the Leader’s Playbook?
A small digression from your text: Tim, this points to a larger problem that I’ve not found in the materials for the Revival/Congress—Why did a revival become necessary? Something needs to be revived only when it’s been killed or allowed to die. How did Eucharistic devotion wither to such a degree that a national Revival and Congress are called for? Are we being asked to refill the leaky bucket without inquiring about the locations and causes of the leaks?
[…]
Eucharistic Revival. NO ONE will deny, I think, that it is needed. However, simply continuing to do more of what has been done for the last decades – which caused the problems a “revival” seeks to address – seems unlikely to produce long-term benefits.
Also, during the recent bishops meeting there was, if I recall correctly, some talk about a congress at a convention center of some sort and confessors were available. It seems that the number of people seeking the Sacrament of Penance was so great that a general call for more priests to help hear confessions was put out.
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