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

Just Too Cool at Le Barroux

Posted on 20 May 2022 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Le Barroux is the short name for the Benedictine Abbaye Sainte-Madeleine du Barroux in S. France. They are a traditional Benedictine community of monks. On the next hill is an Abbey of nuns. This place is fantastic.

Just as the Italian Norcia Benedictines have been working to build their beautiful community through making great beer, the monks at Le Barroux are reviving the ancient vineyards of the Avignon Popes. I have an affiliate program with both of them.

Le Barroux sent out a news letter today with a very cool piece of news. One of the nearby residents found in his field of olive trees a 4 cm lead seal with the figure of Pope Clement V. It reads: Sigillum Domini Pape in comitatu venaysini (Seal of the Lord Pope in the Comtat Venaissin). It was found between the Abbey church and a nearby chapel, right where the first papal vineyards were.

Use FATHERZ10 and get 10% off.

OPPORTUNITY
10% off with code:
FATHERZ10

Posted in Just Too Cool | Tagged Le Barroux, wine
Leave a comment

Wherein Francis explains it all to Bono

Posted on 20 May 2022 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Bono of @U2: Do women & girls play a powerful role in tackling the climate crisis?
Francis: In the Common home, we usually speak of Mother Earth, not Father Earth. This is very clear. Besides, as I told you a while ago, since that afternoon of the apple, [women] are in charge. pic.twitter.com/pCqq9tK89I

— Ines San Martin (@inesanma) May 19, 2022

Posted in You must be joking! |
14 Comments

Daily Rome (not) Shot – 502 – bonus pics

Posted on 20 May 2022 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Posted in On the road, What Fr. Z is up to |
2 Comments

ASK FATHER: Traditional Confirmation Availability?

Posted on 19 May 2022 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

Now that confirmation season is in full force, do you know of any diocese that are granting permission to have confirmation in the old rite? My family and I live in 2 locations throughout the year (…..,), and both FSSP parishes have been denied the traditional rite. I would be happy to talk with you further, but your blog seemed like a convenient place to ask what is going on around the nation.

Where can Traditional Confirmation be found … where people from elsewhere would be welcomed……

Oh, friend, my heart hurts for you.

This requires bishops with fatherly hearts who care for people who simply want the Faith of their fathers.

I guess that perhaps 1 bishop in 100 knows that there are substantive differences between the traditional rite and the new rite. And among those who do know that, few will care.

Frankly, bishops talk about going to people on the periphery, and they create time and resources. But the bishops themselves have created this periphery! They would rather not have to remember that it’s there, that those people are out there – eyes and hands reaching out to those bishops from without.

Perhaps readers will have some positive news.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Cri de Coeur, Hard-Identity Catholicism, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Save The Liturgy - Save The World, SESSIUNCULA |
16 Comments

ARIZONA: Abortion Pill Rescue Network

Posted on 18 May 2022 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Some of you will have heard of Heartbeat International, an organization that helps small clinics for women. Fantastic. They are also handling the nationwide network of doctors which can prescribe the REVERSAL process of the abortion pill. This DYI abortion process is getting bigger. Many women change their minds and don’t know what do to do. IT CAN BE REVERSED.

I received news today that was cheerful…

From an Arizona center that just started Rescuing babies through Abortion Pill Rescue Network 1 month ago

“ at 10:47pm, we received our first Abortion Pill Reversal phone call. Our medical team immediately called in the prescription and the client just now arrived at our location for her ultrasound. Pls, pray there will be a heartbeat and for God to give our team wisdom. This is huge!!! We only launched the APR program this month!”

Heartbeat International.org – to learn more about Abortion Pill Rescue Network

APRWorldwide.com – for doctors to join our network of volunteers

Everyone should know about this.

Posted in Emanations from Penumbras | Tagged abortion pill reversal, Heartbeat International.
1 Comment

ASK FATHER: Can Catholics still get married with the Traditional Latin rite of Matrimony?

Posted on 18 May 2022 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

Does Traditions custodes in any way change the position of the traditional rite of marriage as related to the requirement to observe canonical form? Can a Catholic still marry validly and licitly in the older rite? Would permission from the local ordinary be required?

Your question opens onto to several fronts. Let’s take care of the immediate question first.

The Apostolic Letter Traditionis custodes, makes no mention of either the Sacrament of Marriage or the ritual involved in the contracting of marriage for Latin Catholics.

TC states – as if it were a fact – that the current liturgical books are “the unique expression of the lex orandi of the Roman Rite”. That statement is, like any statement, obviously open to proof to the contrary. Gratis asseritur, gratis negatur.

In fact, several months later, the very same Francis issued an Apostolic Constitution (which has greater canonical weight than a mere Apostolic Letter), Praedicate Evangelium, in which he acknowledged and legislated for two forms of the Roman Rite.

Negatur.

Being faithful sons of the Holy Church we must more recent and weightier rulings as those in force now. PE does not mention any liturgical books other than the Roman Missal of 1962.

Several months later, the erstwhile Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments answered several dubia that had been proposed… apparently. Those who … apparently… asked those eleven questions, and only they, are bound by the responses given, in which the Prefect mandates that the Rites for the Sacraments using the 1952 Rituale, may only be performed in personal parishes dedicated to the Extraordinary Form.

Thus, unless your diocese submitted those eleven questions – which purportedly gave rise to the responses – there is nothing in the universal law that would prohibit the celebration of the Sacrament of Marriage using the classic ritual. Such a marriage, presuming everything else is in order, would be valid and licit. Unless there is particular law in the diocese, no specific permission is needed.

There is without question reasonable doubt in the air in these days about this and other matters concerning the Traditional Latin Mass, the Sacraments, and other items from the ritual. The constant changing, updating, and tweaking of the Code of Canon Law and the shifting of terminology, competency, and even authority has lent to the Church a constant state of inconstancy.

It is helpful to review Canon 14, one of the canons by which all the canons in the Code and all legislation – are to be interpreted.

“Laws, even invalidating and incapacitating ones, do not oblige when there is a doubt of the law…”

A doubt of the law arises when serious, reasonable men find themselves confused, not merely when some uninformed or uneducated person doesn’t understand the law.

We right now in a situation where much doubt has been sown. Perhaps intentionally? It might not be a waste of time to review Francis’ Four Postulates from his programmatic encyclical Evangelii gaudium. Review those “tools”, as it were, of control and change through disruption ad conflict, and then take a look around.

Holy Mother Church doesn’t want us in a state of constant agitation or uncertainty for long periods of time. Hence, enshrined in her law are principles of interpretation which allow us to navigate the treacherous waters we are in and also – this is important – puts us at ease about the validity of many acts and situations. We don’t have a visible Church with laws so that we can be constantly worried about what’s going on. If that is the state of affairs, then something isn’t right.

Posted in SESSIUNCULA | Tagged can. 14
4 Comments

Daily Rome (not) Shot – 501 – bonus pics

Posted on 18 May 2022 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Posted in On the road, What Fr. Z is up to |
2 Comments

Concerning the Traditional Latin Mass in Washington D.C.

Posted on 18 May 2022 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

The effects of the cruel Traditionis custodes are widespread.

Here is an excerpt from an email, followed by a link to a blog post about the D.C. situation regarding the Vetus Ordo.

We are praying hard for the Cardinal at this time. It is particularly important to my family, as my 5 sons (with a 6th on the way!) have been baptized in the Traditional Rite. Additionally, my 2 oldest sons have learned to serve the TLM, and have benefited immensely from doing so, especially my eldest, who is struggling with feelings of frustration and anger over losing the rite he has come to love so well. For myself, it is strange to think that I am likely the first man in my family in direct male descent in the past 500 years to not have learned to serve the TLM – but still thanking God that these sons learned to do so. I sincerely hope and pray that my younger sons will be allowed to learn to serve the rite that their grandfather, great-grandfather and ancestral patriarchs did.

May God’s will be done. There is power in the Blood, and without that, nothing.

As I read that I had the image of a Recusant man in the 1530’s England writing by candlelight.

The link he sent: HERE A quick bite:

Some parishioners held signs with phrases like “T.L.M. Please,” “Prayer, Not Politics,” and “Cardinal Gregory: The Lord Be With You, Please Let us Pray.” At the front was a small girl who insisted on waving a Sacred Heart banner larger than herself for the better part of the afternoon, undaunted by the rain. All of this was plainly visible to the cardinal and synod delegates inside.