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{]:¬)

ROME 23/04 – Day 20: Mysteria and wysteria

Posted on 20 April 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

In Roma in this 110th day of the year, the sunset will be at 1958, having risen at 0621.

The Ave Maria ought to chime, but in the place most worthy of its sounding it won’t, at 2015.

Welcome new registrant:

Paul Schoppe

Today is the anniversary of the death of Msgr. Richard J. Schuler, olim pastor of St. Agnes in St. Paul MN, to whom so many owe so much. His legacy is still being lived and the fruits of his labors are still being harvested. Very much missed.

Yesterday evening I met friends for preprandials.

Which drink is mine, in this moment before taking possession of the new book in English from Card. Muller?

Later, off to supper. This is a good season for vignarola.

My dining companion was looking forward to MEAT, so MEAT was meet and met.

A great evening and long conversation. I’m grateful for his friendship and all he is doing for priests.

A nice corner. It’s like a scene from a murder mystery…

It’s the 18th century and a body has been deposited under a “no dumping… mondazzaro” sign. Immediately a note was sent to alert the Most Reverend Most Illustrious Monsignor President of the Streets about this obviously strangled corpse. News arrived as he was dining with a visitor, Msgr. Domenico Ponziani, Vicar General of Modena and a world famous chess player. Returning to the dining salon, the President declares, “Monsignore Domenico, I may have something that will interest you.” Circling the table, he extends his bony hand, the large episcopal ring catching the candles. With a flourish, L’Illustrissimo places an object on his guest’s now empty plate: an elegantly carved ivory chess piece… a bishop, crusted with dried blood. “Monsignor Crepaldi is dead. This was in his hand.” “How dreadful, Monsignore!” “Curious, though, Domenico. There wasn’t a cut on his body. This is not his own blood!”

The Roman streets are filled with mysteries.

About the book I was holding up. This is the English version of a work by Gerhard Ludwig Card. Müller.

US HERE and UK HERE

True and False Reform: What It Means to Be Catholic

I noted with interest two things while sitting at the table with those drinks, which were a variant of a Manhattan, though somewhat more aromatic. I was told that it had been blended and stored for two months and yesterday was its first appearance.

The Cocktail Culture has hit Rome.

But I digress.

The first thing I noticed is that the 2021 German title was: Was ist katholisch. The title suggests to me that Germany is so far gone that that simple title is necessary.

The second thing I noticed is the page with some introductory quotes. The final one, really caught my eye as a sharp opening blast. The very mention of the late Card. Hosius is enough, but his epitaph is a thunderclap.

During my last Roman Sojourn I wrote about Stanislaus Hosius (1505-1579). Just as F. Atticus McButterpants has heraldic pants on his coat of arms, Hosius has hose. Hosius was Major Penitentiary and Card. Priest of Santa Maria in Trastevere.. His funerary monument is to the right of the sanctuary Polish… actually Prussian. He was a fierce opponent of the Protestant Revolt.

The epitaph itself:

I am writing these things about those who are seducing you:

Whoever is out of harmony with the Roman Church in the doctrine of the Faith is not Catholic.

So, Müller has planted his flag. More on this in the days to come.

After Holy Mass this morning, with a couple visiting from Stateside, we strolled up to the edge of the Campo de’ Fiori where you can see, these days, this lovely sight.

Yesterday I said a Votive Mass of St. Joseph to ask him to get involved with my finding a place here. Today, I also offered this idea to the High Priest with His votive Mass on Thursday. Also, this morning, at the beginning of the Via dei Cappellari, I noted that an enterprising devotee of Our Lady has given her some wysteria, which is coming in right now. I had a chat with her, too, given that a place that seemed enticing was in this very street and under her mantle.

Meanwhile, here is a puzzle for you today.

Black’s Queen has too much to do.

White to play.

NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.

As I write, I also have the nail-biter Gam 8 of 14 on and with crazy clock management, wild pawn structures, with lunch… caprese.

Posted in SESSIUNCULA |
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FATHERS! Called into the chancery? Possible trouble? The first 24 HOURS are critically important. Be CAREFUL. TAKE ADVICE.

Posted on 20 April 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

One of the advantages to being in Rome is that I can catch up with friends and acquaintances who come for pleasure or for work. What work? Sometimes journalistic. Often canonical. There are canon lawyers who come to Rome for various reasons. Some of the better ones come because they are defending priests.

Over the last couple of days I’ve had conversations from advocates of priests that both make your hands ball up into fists and bring tears to your eyes from alternating sadness and compassion. Mind you: none of the canonists have betrayed anyone’s identity or location. In the canonical realm you get good at “anonymizing”.

Such are the things I’ve been reminded of lately, both good developments and also dire, prompted me last night over a languid Roman supper to celebrate Mass this morning for the intention of “cancelled priests”.

There are so many, and many of them have been treated with appalling disregard for rights and canonical procedure. Some situations are heartbreaking.

His dictis, I’ll perform a service here to all the brethren.

FATHERS…

In the case that you – God forbid – get called into the bishop’s office because of an “accusation”, remember this, above all:

It is vital that you have the advice of a good canonist before heading in for the meeting.
The first hours after an accusation is made are critical.

Mind you, this is not advice automatically to “lawyer up” and go into the meeting with your canon lawyer at your side, guns blazing. It could be that that is the best way forward. Otherwise, it could be that the canonist will advise you to go, but to prep you about how to respond or not respond. You don’t want to ratchet up the temperature needlessly. You also don’t want to be bullied into doing something that hurts your case because you were caught off guard and in a state of adrenaline fueled surprise and anxiety.

I hear again and again about how bishops/chanceries steam-roller priests, all semblance of process tossed under the roller with the priest in question.

This is terribly cynical perhaps, and one size does not fit all. However, the adage si vis pacem, para bellum has many applications, the desire for ultimate peace having the logical priority. Peace, but not at the expense of justice.

Lastly, I’ll remind you, Fathers, of a good book by a canonist Michael J. Mazza, JD, JCD of canonicaladvocacy.com

The Right of a Cleric to Bona Fama

Everyone, priests too, have the right to a good reputation.

UPDATE:

From a priest friend:

A friend of many years was called in to see his bishop. I told him, “Do not go alone. There is no reason you need to go alone. You can bet the bishop will not be alone! Take someone with you, a priest friend or a lay friend.”

He took a friend who was a retired judge. To this day he says it was the best advice he ever got.

The bishops (who are so fond of beginning their letters with Dear brother priests) have insulated themselves on Mount Olympus with layer ion layer of bureaucracy.

Posted in ACTION ITEM!, Cancelled Priests, Canon Law, Priests and Priesthood, Si vis pacem para bellum! | Tagged Michael Mazza
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ROME 23/04 – Day 19: Gotta hand it to ya

Posted on 19 April 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

This got me thinking.

In Rome you see lots of stylized and highly expressive hands. For example…

And here St. Thomas Villanova is giving heresy something to chew over.

There’s talking with your hands, and there’s not talking at all… not-talking.. with your hand. Get it?

Discretion.

One could make a study of hands.

Meanwhile, here’s a lovely view.

Welcome new registrant:

Jgonzo566

Meanwhile,…
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White to move.

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From “The Private Diary of Bishop F. Atticus McButterpants” – 23-04-18 – Letter from the Nuncio and Reconciliation Fallout

Posted on 18 April 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

April 18th, 2023

Dear Diary,

There outta be an air raid siren when one of these comes in….a letter from the Noonch [Nuncio… ed.]. I hate these! They are ALWAYS a ton of work. And usually for nothing. This is about a grumpy couple that wants to get married at one of our parishes, but claim they are being given the run around from the pastor and the deacons and parish staff. I gave it to the Chancellor of Vice. He’s usually good at the dirty work, but this time he handed it off to the Annoying Canon Law Undesirables down the hall! Now its a canon law problem!!! Last thing I need. Must get Vice to get after the ACLU for an answer asap. Vice better fix this soon. Gotta stay under the Nooch’s radar.

NOTE: Have Mrs. Kennedy draft a letter right away to the Nuncio to get him off my back… “Rest assured… doing all we can to help this couple…”

More about that couple who wanted a blessing instead of confession at the reconciliation service during Lent. Vice found their facebook page… as usual. He’s constantly on social media and snarling about “docksing”, whatever that is. Vice showed me their facebook. “The bishop blessed our marriage!” For crying out loud. Okay, the woman was wearing a white pantsuit. How was I to know? They had a friend taking photos with a phone so it looked like a “wedding”, never mind I had a purple stole on. They wrote, “See, guys? We didn’t need our previous marriages annulled after all! The bishop himself blessed our marriage!”

Well, once burned twice that other thing. These reconciliation nights at the cathedral are too unpredictable! Can’t have THAT happen again. Fr. Tommy said that it could have been avoided if we used the old box confessionals. Gotta admit he’s right. The cathedral has six of them. The janitors and plant ladies use them for storage. Old confessionals. That brings back memories. I know what would happen at the next meeting of the province. Jude would give me one of those knowing looks and Dozer would have a fit… which would make it worth it.

NOTE: Tell Vice to tell the rector to fix up those confessionals before Advent.

Posted in Diary of Bp. McButterpants |
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ROME 23/04 – Day 18: Viewed from afar

Posted on 18 April 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

The sun rose at 0624 and set at 1956. The Ave Maria is at 2015.

Weather in Rome has been… unpleasant. Very cool, breezy and off and on rainy. So, you can’t plan easily.

Tomorrow should be nicer. I hope to get out for a real leg stretch.

I’ve had a strong fatigue I’ve been fighting. Spiritual? Could be… Rome is… off.

I’ve been going early in the morning to say Mass. Coming back to the sacristy, a young priest was waiting while one of our brothers was at the consecration at the sacristy altar.

It seems like today I’ve run into this lovely saint everywhere.

Light meal. That’s finocchiona and gorgonzola picante.

I mentioned images with votives.

I’d like to buy this and, in the business section, open a chess cafe. (Or not have a biz part at all.) Good location. Perfect.

This is for a friend of mine, MF.

St. Joseph, give me a hand with the Rome thing. This is not just a whim now.

Meanwhile, today Ding with the black pieces used the French Defense and almost gave the commentators a heart attack. The game seesawed and, at the end, when it looked like Ding had fought off Nepo’s vicious kingside attack, … he just froze. He went into total brain freeze and paralysis. Couldn’t move. It was dramatic, shout at the screen stuff. HERE. So sad. Anish Giri literally got up and walked off camera.

I’m a bit muted this evening frankly, after the roller coaster Game 7 and also my first foray into Robert Card. Sarah’s new book, which addresses the crisis in the Church in the priesthood. Friends, make no mistake. The Enemy hates priests with a savagery no human can truly grasp. The Enemy knows that individual priests and the very concept of priesthood must be warped. We are seeing that in our day, especially with the attack on the Traditional Latin Mass, which teaches priests more about being priests than most courses on priesthood could do.

From Card. Sarah:

This is the situation with the priesthood. Christ Jesus gave us a very beautiful, luminous, and clear icon of His priestly being: the Sacrament of Holy Orders is this icon of Jesus, the High Priest. But our compromises with the world have added layers of mediocre quality paint on the divine work of art. The work has lost its brilliance. It is therefore advisable to restore it, and to do that, we must strip away these additions so as to rediscover the original. Benedict XVI and I had intended to invite priests to this work of reform, of return to the form intended by God, in publishing From the Depths of Our Hearts. In this book, each of us had opened up paths toward a restoration of a fully sacerdotal way of life for priests. Some of its proposals were daring. Unfortunately, many people remembered only the most polemical and most political interpretations of those lines. Nevertheless, the book found an attentive, benevolent reader in the person of Pope Francis, who has unceasingly invited priests to renew their deepest being. In asking us to break with self-referentiality, the pope invites us to rediscover a priesthood that does not refer to itself but is an icon of Christ the Priest. [Polite.]

How is this restoration to be carried out? How can the accumulated layers of paint and varnish be stripped off? In this book, I propose to you a simple method: Let the Church speak! Let Her saints and Her Doctors speak. Let us espouse their way of looking at things so as to renew our perspectives.

For Eternity.

US HERE – UK HERE

Please pray for cancelled priests.

Posted in Cancelled Priests, Priests and Priesthood, SESSIUNCULA |
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VIDEO: Die Grosse Wunde – The Great Wound: The Church is in one of the greatest crises in history.

Posted on 18 April 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

This is interesting…

Website: HERE

Posted in Hard-Identity Catholicism, The Coming Storm, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged Bp. Vitus Huonder
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ROME 23/04 – Day 17: Babies, Beauty and Beer

Posted on 17 April 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Roma sun-up 0625
Roma sun-down 1955
Ave Maria 2015

You have to enjoy the many images of Our Lady in Rome, every couple of streets, each little neighborhood had theirs. And you often see votive offerings, silver hearts, have been affixed out of gratitude for a favor granted.

If you don’t ask for favors, you won’t get them. If you don’t ask for miracles, you won’t get them.

Back in the day, people asked and asked and asked because they believed and believed and believed.

This particular image of Mary doesn’t have a votive offering, but St Pippo, co-patron of Rome is kissing Baby Jesus little toe, which is kinda the same thing donchya think?

I think Baby Jesus and the putti hanging onto the frame have the same barber.

Here’s an action shot from yesterday. The paschal candle is tall enough that it is hard to light and put out from below. The enterprising sacristan found a different angle while putting out the “big six”. Kudos.

Meanwhile… I remind you of Fr. Claude Barthe’s book, now in English, A Forest of Symbols: The Traditional Mass and Its Meaning. US HERE – UK HERE

Here is another little tease. Always remember that Mass is not a “didactic moment”. Even though there are moments that are “didactic”, they are not primarily so. They are acts of sacrifice, glorification, praise and supplication. Even the readings are sacrificial. That is why in the Vetus Ordo the priest must read them even when they are sung by the sacred ministers. Christ the High Priest, the Word, is raising Himself to the Father in the flowing sounds of human language, Word incarnated raised as a glorification, a petition to be heard, oblation by His Priesthood, a fleeting sacrifice.

With that in mind, here is Fr. Barthe:

First, at the altar, on his knees on the highest step of the altar on which he has placed the Gospel book, he asks God for a purification similar to that undergone by Isaiah in the Temple at his calling (Is 6:6–7): Munda cor meum ac labia mea. . . (Cleanse my heart and my lips, O God almighty, who didst cleanse the lips of the prophet Isaias with a live coal: vouchsafe, of thy gracious mercy, so to cleanse me, that I may worthily proclaim thy holy Gospel). [This is the pattern! We purify and then we bless. We exorcise water before we bless it, etc.]
Then, in front of the celebrant, the deacon, holding the Gospel book against his breast, comes to ask the blessing of the celebrant (Pray, sir, a blessing. The Lord be in thy heart, and on thy lips . . . ). After the deacon has been blessed by the celebrant, the celebrant places his right hand on the Gospel book and presents it to the deacon to be kissed as an indication that Christ confers his power and his virtue on his apostles, giving them the gifts of his spirit that flow out from him, especially from his hand, the source of good works. Christ passes on to him in particular the gifts of languages, of speech, and of the voice, with the hand of the celebrant touching the purified mouth of the deacon and the purified mouth of the deacon kissing the consecrated hand of the celebrant. From then on, the Lord’s right hand passes on his Spirit, which alone can give an understanding of the mysteries, uncovering what is hidden within them, can give the grace necessary to talk of them, and can communicate the power to make them heard. This kiss is a kiss of respect, but it is even more designed to plumb the depths of the divine force of Jesus Christ’s holy humanity, and in particular the force of his humano-divine speech.

Meanwhile,…

White to move.

NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.

Your use of my Amazon affiliate link is a major part of my income. It helps to pay for insurance, groceries, everything. Please remember me when shopping online. Thanks in advance. US HERE – UK HERE

Game 6 between Ding and Nepo was really something. Ding played the LONDON and Nepo played … not so well, all in all, and got into trouble. But at this level you can get out of trouble if given a tiny advantage. It was not to be for Nepo, however, because Ding Liren played a forcing mating net that was a thing of exquisite beauty. It was breathtaking.

Here is the video of the coverage which I bookmarked at the point where Ding is closing in for the kill and the commentators are looking to find it before Ding plays it. Anish had his good plan, but what Ding Liren does is amazing. Give it a try with a little patience while the pressure builds up to Ding’s initially puzzling but super-crafty move. As we join, Ding is having a think. Note also Anish’s insightful comments about how different players calculate.

You would really enjoy this will a glass of beer from Norcia. Believe me. Some savory sausage and a sharp cheese. Great beer made by traditional Benedictines building their new monastery from the beer you then enjoy while reading Fr. Z’s blog and doing chess puzzles? Does it get better than that?

Posted in SESSIUNCULA |
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New online course on “St. Edith Stein as Modern Witness”

Posted on 17 April 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

The great folks at The Catholic Thing have been holding online courses. For example, there were courses with Robert Royal on Dante’s Divine Comedy, on Augustine’s City of God and on Thomas More’s Utopia.

They are now going to have a course on St. Edith Stein.

This is pretty interesting. She was a major philosopher in her day, a phenomenologist. Her work influenced the young John Paul II which in turn influenced his papal Magisterium especially in regard to the human person.

It starts on 19 April and, once registered, you can access the archive.

For more information on this course try HERE.

Posted in Modern Martyrs, Saints: Stories & Symbols, The Campus Telephone Pole | Tagged St. Edith Stein
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St. Thomas and the beating, living, healing, Heart of Love.

Posted on 16 April 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Here is something a wrote some time ago, reflecting on the meeting of the Risen Lord and Thomas and the “hand” and “side” incident.

Here is something that I wrote a while back. Since today in the Vetus Ordo calendar is the Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle, I figured that it might be good to share for those who haven’t seen it.

[…]

Christ showed [the Apostles in the locked room] His hands and feet and side, to demonstrate that He had a real body and that it was also is His Body. He didn’t pick up some unwounded, perfect Body that He was now inhabiting. We are our bodies, as we are our rites. The fact that the wounds remained in His Body’s hands, feet and side provided continuity with His Body before and during His Passion. He isn’t a mere shade of the Lord. Nor has he exchanged Himself for an unwounded version. In this way Christ began to show them the traits of the risen Body, traits which we, too, will share in the Resurrection: clarity (reflecting God’s glory), impassibility (incapable of suffering), agility (ease and speed of movement), subtlety (unhindered by barriers).

[…]

We don’t know why Thomas wasn’t with the other ten Apostles in the room for that first appearance of the Lord. I like to imagine that it was his turn to get the “take out” for the rest of them.

Thomas, who had doubted, put his trust in the Lord at this point. In fact, he literally handed his trust to Him where the point of the lance had left its mark on the Lord’s glorious Risen Body, a wound from a Roman lance large enough to insert his hand. The Lord told Thomas to “thrust” (Greek bále) his hand “eis ten pleurán… into (His) side”. If we want to be picky, we might note that the Greek word “cheír”, insofar as our anatomy is concerned, can mean “hand”, but it can also mean “finger” or “hand and arm”, the later so much so that in some contexts additional words are added to denote “hand” as distinct from the arm (cf. Liddell-Scott-Jones, A Greek-English Lexicon aka LSJ – “χείρ , ἡ”).

This is significant for depictions in art, as in the famous painting by Caravaggio, wherein Thomas puts his finger into Christ’s side and peers into it, which smacks of the spirituality of St. Bonaventure who wrote about how Thomas the Apostle looked through the Lord’s visible wounds and saw His invisible wound of love. It also affects depictions of the crucifixion of the Lord and of His risen Body, with the holes of the nails in the hands. Some maintain that Christ would have been crucified with nails through the wrists so that the ulna and radius bones would sustain His Body’s weight rather than tearing through the flesh of His hands.

Christ tells Thomas to explore with his finger (dáktylos) the spike holes of His “hands/wrists”, which would be more or less the size of a large finger. However, he tells Thomas to use his hand for the wound in His side. The Greek suggests to me that the Lord instructed Thomas to push, thrust His hand into the wound channel left by the Roman lance, which had gone so far as to lacerate the Lord’s Sacred Heart.

We don’t have in the Gospel account of this stunning moment, to which John was eyewitness, a precise statement by John that Thomas physically did it. All it says is that Thomas responded, “My Lord and my God!” Christ responded with a “beatitude” (v. 29): “Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”

Was Thomas so overwhelmed that He could not touch the Lord in that way? All He could utter was that amazing witness to belief in the divinity of Christ? The clearest and most exultant of any in the Gospels?

Christ refers to Thomas seeing Him, but He did not say, “because you have touched me”. Nevertheless, it seems to me that if the Risen Christ tells you to do something, you do it. Furthermore, John immediately concludes this chapter with something so definitive that it feels like the end of the whole work (vv. 30-31):

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.

There follows chapter 21 and the account of the reconciliation of Peter at the Sea of Galilee. We moderns count that as chapter 21. Remember, the Gospels were not written with chapters and verses and not even word breaks. Those were imposed centuries later. Yet, one has the sense that what happened between Christ and Thomas was so amazing that John penned something like a conclusion to his Gospel after Thomas’s cry of faith, arguably the climax of John’s account.

Given the various meanings of “hand” in Greek, and that word “thrust”, and the fact that the wound from the lance remained, therefore remained all the way to His Heart, perhaps Our Lord required Thomas not merely to touch His side but even to feel the breath, the ruach, in His torn lung. Did Thomas, while feeling the ruach on his wrist, touch with his hand the physical, risen, subtle, impassible, agile, blazing bright Heart of Jesus?

By the way, in art, statues and painting, the Apostles are usually depicted with the instruments of their martyrdom. St. Thomas is often depicted with a lance.

On this Sunday we emphasize the mercy of God and the institution of the Sacrament of Penance, perhaps the greatest encounter we have with incarnate Mercy, Holy Communion notwithstanding.

Christ told Thomas to do what He did before witnesses so that they too would understand about the traits of His risen Body and that it was truly His own. Knowing full well that we would one day read this, He inspired the disciple He most loved to write his Gospel account, an account that connects Thomas to the inspiration of the Spirit and the mercy of Christ’s Heart in a way that other Apostles didn’t experience on that first Easter evening appearance.

When we go to confession, we enter into Mercy in order to be breathed upon by the Spirit and to feel the beating, living, healing, Heart of Love.

Posted in Classic Posts, Linking Back, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000 |
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