Fr. Z's Blog

An old phrase, I believe attributed to Trotsky, says that you might not be interested in war, but war is interested in you.

This is proving to be true, as members of the hierarchy in Rome, close to and at the summits of power, wage war on Catholics who want to participate in the Vetus Ordo, the Roman Mass and celebration of rites.

At Crisis there is a very good piece about the situation facing traditionally minded Catholics.   War.

To cut to the chase, the writer ends with something that I suggested strongly today in my fervorino.  I suggested that, asking St. Thomas to guide us and asking our Guardian Angel to protect us from distractions of the Enemy, we might for a few minutes at least simply look at the wound in the side of Christ on a Crucifix.  Richard of St. Victor said that Thomas looked through the visible wound and saw the invisible wound of love.  That brought forth from him the cry, “Dominus meus et Deus meus!”

At Crisis, the writer suggests something along these lines.

At first he describes the status quaestionis… the situation as it is here and now: war.  You, we, and that includes faithful Catholics who do not usually attend the Vetus Ordo, are being warred upon.   Hence, we have to decide what we are going to do.

These days, it is tempting to turn to the more extreme blogs or videos and get ramped up.  I don’t think this blog is nearly qualified to be counted among the most extreme.   As a matter of fact, even as I called a spade and spade, I have recommended that our first response to the cruelty of our hierarchs should be to GO TO CONFESSION and then pray a Memorare everyday for the overturning of Traditionis custodes.  That way you can be a Custos traditionis.. a Guardian of Tradition, starting with confession and prayer.

The writer at Crisis writes about true Catholics having a Catholic sense.  This touches on something that needs greater explication.  This is the sensus fidelium…. the sensus fidei fidelium… the sense of the faith… the sense of the faith of the faithful.   What progressivists, libs, modernists, the papalatrous forget is that you have to have the Faith to have the sense of the Faith.

This is how that Crisis article concludes:

With total war against the faith of our ancestors on the table, there is no time for dissertations and dialogue—we will be on our heels before we have a chance to wait for the response of a Procurator Mandate from Rome.

We will have to decide what to do, sometimes despite what our normal channels of information and guidance will suggest.

Will we go Eastern Rite if possible? What about a private chapel? Are you brave enough to bear the brunt of bickering talking heads who decide how many percentage points of communion your priests enjoy? Whatever happens, it will not be easy, and no one can make the decision but you.

Before you decide—if the moment does in fact come—I recommend doing exactly what the heroic souls who followed Athanasius did as he bellowed, “They may have the churches, but we have the faith!”

It is not necessary to open any books, or blogs, or apps.

Emulate the unknown saints of the past. Kneeling in front of an Icon or lying prostrate in front of a Tabernacle will teach you more about what a Catholic ought to do in times like this than anything I or anyone else could ever write.

God gave us a Catholic sense for a reason—and exactly for times like these.

Having absorbed that, go to the article and read his reasons for saying that we are now at war.

He is right.