This is Archbp. Emmanuel Lafont of French Guiana, retired, during the Amazonian Synod (“Walking Together”). He is “walking together” with the demon idol Pachamama, carrying it ceremonially and scandalously in procession into the Roman church Santa Maria in Traspontina.
We read in La Crock that he was convicted of sexual abuse. HERE He was consequently banned from public ministry and required to live in a monastery in France to conduct a life of prayer and penance.
He was NOT dismissed from the clerical state, it seems.
And again, outside the Synod (“walking together”) Hall.
I went to confession and the words said by the priest for absolution were “I absolve you from these sins” etc. Would this absolution be valid?
Thank you for going to confession. KEEP GOING.
This is disturbing. The reason is that, in the Sacrament of Penance, if you have genuinely forgotten some sins, and therefore didn’t confess them, the forgotten sins are absolved along with the confessed sins.
“I absolve you from these sins” applies only to those sins that you confessed and not to any that you failed to confess because you sincerely forgot them.
I strongly suspect that that was an INVALID absolution.
If you have regular contact with that priest, bring to his attention: he is using a doubtfully valid form of absolution. If he reacts badly or brushes you off, then inform the local bishop and/or the priest’s superior if he is a religious.
It is appalling that a priest would screw around with the forms of sacraments, alter them in any way according to some puffed up notion that he knows better or that he has to tweak something to make it more meaningful or that he has to put his own touch on it. Change words and you change meanings. The result is confusion in the minds of penitents.
It’s an absolutely horrid thing to do to penitents, leave them in doubt about being forgiven. That’s a stupid and wicked thing for a priest to do and it is so easily avoided.
SAY THE FORM AS IT IS WRITTEN!
Mind you, in 2023 the English FORM used in these USA will change slightly. I wrote about that HERE.
Our parish priest speaks in a very distinct way. He chants the Novus Ordo from “For on the night he was betrayed he himself took bread, and giving you thanks he said the blessing, broke the bread and gave it to his disciples, saying:”
And he speaks distinctly, no longer chanting
“TAKE THIS”
But then *inaudibly*
ALL OF YOU,
And then quite audibly
“AND EAT OF IT:
FOR THIS IS MY BODY WHICH WILL BE GIVEN UP FOR YOU.”
Servers have said yes, he does say the “all of you” but those in attendance cannot hear it, except perhaps at daily mass in the front row.
I am used to the priest saying things inaudibly in the Mass of the Ages; my hearing is not relevant. In the NO we are expected to participate not just with our prayers but with our voices. [We won’t get into that here.]
But surely it is not the case that if the parishioners in the NO do not hear something actually said then the mass is invalid? The priest hears. The angels hear. Correct?
Surely it is NOT the case that if the parishioners in the Novus Ordo do not hear something then the mass is invalid!
If that were so, then what might the experience of Mass be for the hard of hearing? Valid for some and not for others?
No, your being able to hear has zero to do with the validity of the consecration.
I’m sure that the consecration was valid, but what you describe is weird. It sounds like yet another case of the priest being full of himself and having to impose some selfish personal preference on everyone.
Priests! SHEESH!
Alas, the Novus Ordo is prone to this sort of oddball improvisation.
Something I picked up on eBay years ago for laughs, had half forgotten about, and came across in the closet this evening. I’m pretty sure it’s the only board game in the world that actually has a Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur (no joke!) pic.twitter.com/qD75iIZ0ip
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.
Please remember me when shopping online. Thanks in advance. US HERE – UK HERE These links take you to a generic “catholic” search in Amazon, but, once in and browsing or searching, Amazon remembers that you used my link and I get the credit.
Here is the O Antiphon for 19 December: O Radix Jesse
Again Our Lord is presented as the Liberator.
LATIN: O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum, super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem gentes deprecabuntur: veni ad liberandum nos, iam noli tardare.
ENGLISH: O Root of Jesse, that stands for an ensign of the people, before whom the kings keep silence and unto whom the Gentiles shall make supplication: come, to deliver us, and tarry not.
Scripture References:
Isaiah 11:10
Romans 15:12
Revelation 5:5
Relevant verse of Veni, Veni Emmanuel:
O come, O Rod of Jesse free,
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory o’er the grave.
What urgency there is in this antiphon.
Our Lewis & Short says that radix is “a root, ground, basis, foundation, origin, source”.
Ironically, roots are underground and invisible, but standards, ensigns are raised high in the air.
Something that lies below the earth (a root) stands high into the heavens like a banner!
Vexilia Regis Prodeunt we sing in Lent. The little root of Advent becomes by Lent grows into the Tree of our salvation.
The one from above takes our mortal clay into an indestructible bond. He raises us to the heavens.
Isaiah 11:10 gives us imagery for our reflection today.
The great prophet of Advent tells us that the kingdom of David would be destroyed, but not entirely destroyed. A root would remain. Jesse is David’s father. David is Jesse’s root. David leads to Christ. Christ is the David King Messiah Priest.
After the destruction there remains a root.
No matter what the exigencies of life present to us or how turbulent the vicissitudes of the passing world may be, when we cling to the root we are sure to be victorious in the end. The root bears up on high to the heavens.
Per aspera ad astra. Succisa virescit.
Life includes patterns of destruction and rebuilding, pruning and regrowth, transplantation and rerooting. So long as we are grafted into the Root, we survive and grow.
Exitus. Conversio. Reditus.
Let’s hear the wonderful community at Le Barroux sing this antiphon with the Magnificat.
Because I continue to get question in my email about bizarre things that priests do to the FORM OF ABSOLUTION, it is good to remind everyone that in 2023 the Novus Ordo form of absolution in English is to change. There has been an official tweak of the English translation of the Latin.
In 2021 the US Bishops voted for the new translation. Rome approved it in April 2022. It goes into effect in 2023.
I can foresee an ACTION ITEM by lay people. Make sure that priests who are doing dodgy things with the form of absolution are informed about the correct form precisely because this change is going into effect.
It is an OPPORTUNITY to help some priests stop screwing about with the form of absolution. If the priests resist, get authorities involved if they keep up their shenanigans.
New translation of the prayer of absolution incoming next year.
God, the Father of mercies,
through the death and resurrection of his Son
has reconciled the world to himself
and poured out[Latin: effudit] the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins;
through the ministry of the Church may God grant[Latin: tribuat] you pardon and peace,
and I absolve you from your sins
in the name of the Father, [sign of the cross] and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
And here’s what the prayer was before:
God, the Father of mercies,
through the death and resurrection of his Son
has reconciled the world to himself
and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the forgiveness of sins;
through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace,
and I absolve you from your sins
in the name of the Father, [sign of the cross] and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Use Latin and there is ZERO question of validity.
The Latin for the post-Conciliar form:
Deus, Pater misericordiarum, qui per mortem et resurrectionem Filii Sui mundum Sibi reconciliavit et Spiritum Sanctum effudit in remissionem peccatorum, per ministerium Ecclesiae indulgentiam tibi tribuat et pacem. Et ego te absolvo a peccatis tuis in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti.
Priests of the Latin Church should know this Latin form of absolution by heart… yes, in Latin.
Fr, I went to confession at a Catholic church in France that gets pilgrims from around the world. Because of the many languages of the penitents there was a checklist in the confessional with a wide variety of sins translated across many languages. You checked off your sins and handed the sheet to the priest, who would then absolve you in French.
Because the confession was not auricular was it still valid? I’m honestly unsure. . .
There are couple of issues here. Firstly, we are obliged to confess our sins in kind (the type of sin) and in number (how many times or an indication of frequency even if approximated). A checklist would have kind but did it have number? I’m guessing not. That’s the first problem.
Next, no indication of a penance?
There are, perhaps, some holes in the background information in the question, above.
We find that those who are not able to speak, but who nevertheless have to make a confession are permitted to write their confession. This must be done with great care because, as the phrase goes scripta manent, written things last. Hence, whatever is written ought to be destroyed as soon as possible.
So, we know that it is possible to provide the matter for the sacrament without speaking. The revelation of the sins in writing or by some signs (sign language, for example) is possible.
We find also that if the penitent and confessor do not share any common language, then, again, the sins can be communicated through sins of some kind, at least in a general way. Perhaps that could be done by pointing to the numbers of commandments on a picture. Perhaps that could be done with a checklist in the penitents native tongue which corresponds with a list that the confessor has. The check list should be retained by the penitent and then destroyed. In this case the checklist serves as a kind of interpreter. And it is possible to make a confession through a living interpreter, though with great caution. Should the interpreter then be destroyed? Probably not.
Provided you made a sincere revelation of your sins that absolution was probablyvalid, provided that he said the valid form. There is the problem of number and kind. There is the problem of perhaps not assigning a penance.
This was an “extraordinary” circumstance, for sure. This should not be anyone’s regular experience.
Here’s a notice about ZedNet for Sunday 18 Dec ’22 – evening at 2000hEST. (0100h ZULU Monday).
Last week we had 11 check-ins. There were some glitches, but it was working. I experimented with three modes, DMR, Echolink (which is working well) and Allstar (which I am told sounded the best).
We now have the site running: http://zednet.xyz I have to get that updated.
Fellow hams who have access locally to a Yaesu System Fusion repeater, a repeater on the BM network, or a multi-mode hotspot registered with BM can get on and have a rag chew…. 24/7/365
Want to get involved? WBØYLE provided a Bill Of Materials, with links, for what you need. HERETHIS WAS UPDATED on by WBØYLE and Fr Z on 4 Dec 2022.
I created a page for the List of YOUR callsigns. HERE Chime in or drop me a note if your call doesn’t appear in the list.
For an image of what the Zednet “interconnections” are, click HERE.
LATIN:O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel, qui Moysi in igne flammae rubi apparuisti, et ei in Sina legem dedisti: veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.
ENGLISH:O Lord and Ruler the house of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the flame of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: come, and redeem us with outstretched arms.
Scripture References: Exodus 3
Micah 5:2
Matthew 2:6
Relevant verse of Veni, Veni Emmanuel:
O come, O come, thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times didst give the law
In cloud and majesty, and awe.
“Adonai” is “LORD.” It was the Hebrew word that the Jews used when they found the four-lettered word for God’s name which they held to be too sacred to pronounce aloud. The four letter word for God’s Name, the Tetragrammaton, is still venerated by us to the point that Holy Church asks us not to use it in liturgical song.
Christ is Lord, Lord of Creation. We sang this yesterday in the antiphon “O Sapientia“. Christ is also Lord of the Covenant with the People He chose.
The Lord made covenants with Noah, Abraham, and Moses. He guided them and all the People. He gave them Law. He protected and feed them. The Lord delivered them from bondage to Pharaoh and unending slavery. He went before them with arm outstretched.
This was all a pre-figuring of the great work of redemption that Christ would work on the Cross. He redeemed us His People from Satan and the eternal damnation of hell.
He once appeared clothed in the burning bush that was not consumed by fire.
He is about to appear again clothed in flesh in our liturgical celebration of Christmas.
He will appear again one day in the future to judge the living and the dead.
He appears to us each day in the person of our neighbor.
What amazing contrasts we find in our Lord! He came in thunder and lightening to give the Law on Mt. Sinai. He comes now in swaddling clothes. He will come again in glory. He comes humbly in the appearance of Bread and Wine.
He still goes before us with outstretched arm and our foes are put to flight at the sight of His banner!
Shall we hear the Benedictines of Le Barroux sing the O Antiphon and Magnificat?
Please remember me when shopping online. Your use of my Amazon affiliate link is a major part of my income. It helps to pay for insurance, groceries, everything. Thanks in advance.
“This blog is like a fusion of the Baroque ‘salon’ with its well-tuned harpsichord around which polite society gathered for entertainment and edification and, on the other hand, a Wild West “saloon” with its out-of-tune piano and swinging doors, where everyone has a gun and something to say. Nevertheless, we try to point our discussions back to what it is to be Catholic in this increasingly difficult age, to love God, and how to get to heaven.” – Fr. Z
The most evident mark of God’s anger and the most terrible castigation He can inflict upon the world are manifested when He permits His people to fall into the hands of clerics who are priests more in name than in deed, priests who practice the cruelty of ravening wolves rather than the charity and affection of devoted shepherds.
missalecta on ROME 26/3– Day 07: Monday in Holy Week: “I’m so hoping that Fr.Z’s surprise is that he has been named Chaplain of His Holiness—MSGR.Z! The time is ripe.”
John Gerardi on What the Bishop of Charlotte is doing – UPDATE: “The bishop of Charlotte’s attitude calls to mind a wonderful old post from His Hermeneuticalness about things mentioned in the…”
VForr on ROME 26/3– Day 07: Monday in Holy Week: “RE: the lace – That lace is beautiful. It must be rewarding to have such a talent and create something…”
Federated Computer… your safe and private alternative to big biz corporations that hate us while taking our money and mining our data. Have an online presence large or small? Catholic DIOCESE? Cottage industry? See what Federated has to offer. Save money and gain peace of mind.
“Until the Lord be pleased to settle, through the instrumentality of the princes of the Church and the lawful ministers of His justice, the trouble aroused by the pride of a few and the ignorance of some others, let us with the help of God endeavor with calm and humble patience to render love for hatred, to avoid disputes with the silly, to keep to the truth and not fight with the weapons of falsehood, and to beg of God at all times that in all our thoughts and desires, in all our words and actions, He may hold the first place who calls Himself the origin of all things.”
Everyone, work to get this into your parish bulletins and diocesan papers.
Your support is important. Thanks in advance.
To donate monthly I prefer Zelle because it doesn't extract fees. Use
frz AT wdtprs DOT com
Donate using VENMO
GREAT BEER from Traditional Benedictine Monks in Italy
Good coffee and tea. Help monks.
CLICK and say your daily offerings!
A Daily Prayer for Priests
I use this when I travel both in these USA and abroad. Very useful. Fast enough for Zoom. I connect my DMR (ham radio) through it. If you use my link, they give me more data. A GREAT back up.
Help support Fr. Z’s Gospel of Life work at no cost to you. Do you need a Real Estate Agent? Calling these people is the FIRST thing you should do!
They find you a pro-life agent in your area who commits to giving a portion of the fee to a pro-life group!
Don’t rely on popes, bishops and priests.
“He [Satan] will set up a counter-Church which will be the ape of the Church because, he the devil, is the ape of God. It will have all the notes and characteristics of the Church, but in reverse and emptied of its divine content. It will be a mystical body of the anti-Christ that will in all externals resemble the mystical body of Christ. In desperate need for God, whom he nevertheless refuses to adore, modern man in his loneliness and frustration will hunger more and more for membership in a community that will give him enlargement of purpose, but at the cost of losing himself in some vague collectivity.”
“Who is going to save our Church? Not our bishops, not our priests and religious. It is up to you, the people. You have the minds, the eyes, and the ears to save the Church. Your mission is to see that your priests act like priests, your bishops act like bishops.”
“The modern habit of doing ceremonial things unceremoniously is no proof of humility; rather it proves the offender's inability to forget himself in the rite, and his readiness to spoil for every one else the proper pleasure of ritual.”
- C.S. Lewis
This blog has to earn its keep!
PLEASE subscribe via PayPal if it is useful. Zelle and Wise are better, but PayPal is convenient.
A monthly subscription donation means I have steady income I can plan on. I put you my list of benefactors for whom I pray and for whom I often say Holy Mass.
In view of the rapidly changing challenges I now face, I would like to add more $10/month subscribers. Will you please help?
For a one time donation...
To donate monthly I prefer Zelle because it doesn't extract fees. Use
frz AT wdtprs DOT com
As for Latin…
"But if, in any layman who is indeed imbued with literature, ignorance of the Latin language, which we can truly call the 'catholic' language, indicates a certain sluggishness in his love toward the Church, how much more fitting it is that each and every cleric should be adequately practiced and skilled in that language!" - Pius XI
"Let us realize that this remark of Cicero (Brutus 37, 140) can be in a certain way referred to [young lay people]: 'It is not so much a matter of distinction to know Latin as it is disgraceful not to know it.'" - St. John Paul II
Grant unto thy Church, we beseech Thee, O merciful God, that She, being gathered together by the Holy Ghost, may be in no wise troubled by attack from her foes. O God, who by sin art offended and by penance pacified, mercifully regard the prayers of Thy people making supplication unto Thee,and turn away the scourges of Thine anger which we deserve for our sins. Almighty and Everlasting God, in whose Hand are the power and the government of every realm: look down upon and help the Christian people that the heathen nations who trust in the fierceness of their own might may be crushed by the power of thine Arm. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. R. Amen.
From a reader…
From a reader…
Here is the O Antiphon for 19 December: O Radix Jesse
Because I continue to get question in my email about bizarre things that priests do to the FORM OF ABSOLUTION, it is good to remind everyone that in 2023 the Novus Ordo form of absolution in English is to change. There has been an official tweak of the English translation of the Latin.
The O Antiphons: 18 December – O Adonai
