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{]:¬)

Daily Rome Shot 308

Posted on 20 October 2021 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Photo by The Great Roman™

In Rome’s heart, on the Palatine Hill at the Villa Barbarini, vineyards have been planted.

Speaking of vineyards, the monks of Le Barroux support themselves with wine from the revived vinyards of the Avignon Popes.

Posted in SESSIUNCULA | Tagged Le Barroux, Rome Shot, wine
5 Comments

Meanwhile, back in Middle Earth

Posted on 19 October 2021 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I found this tidbit to be a nice change of pace on a day without much good news.

Very cool. https://t.co/Vp21Aeq21M

— Fr. John Zuhlsdorf (@fatherz) October 19, 2021

This is one thing that the Jackson movie got pretty much right.

And Smaug.

The rest?

Meh.

Posted in Just Too Cool, Lighter fare | Tagged J.R.R. Tolkien
13 Comments

Archd. of Santa Fe out over its skiis

Posted on 19 October 2021 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Interesting factoid from the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. Archbishop Wester has solemnly pronounced that the SSPX is “not Catholic” and that Catholics may not attend Mass or receive sacraments at the SSPX chapel in Albuquerque. HERE

“Not Catholic”… that goes beyond anything the Holy See has officially pronounced.

The statements says: “The following churches do not accept the Holy Father or meet this criteria.”

The problem is that the SSPX does accept the legitimately elected Popes from Paul VI onward. As far as unity with the local bishop is concerned, I’ll wager that the SSPX chapel went by the Archdiocese’s decrees concerning dispensation of Mass obligation during the COVID lockdown. I’ll bet that they’ve had recourse to their local tribunal.

The statement says: “It is not licit for Catholics to attend Mass or to receive sacraments at these churches, for the Roman Catholic Church does not recognize them as valid.”

What planet is the writer of the statement from? No one who has the slightest knowledge of the SSPX says that their ordinations, Masses and, without question now, their absolutions are invalid.

This statement from the Archdiocese directly contradicts what Francis stated, namely, the faithful may go to priests of the SSPX for sacramental confession and their priests can receive delegation to witness marriages and to celebrate the Nuptial Mass.

If the SSPX were schismatic, that could not have happened.

Hence, Wester – if this was Wester and not just some flunky on his own – has acted ultra vires in making this pronouncement. This is, surely, an error of an underling who didn’t understand what he was doing. Still, the Archdiocese of Santa Fe seems to stand in contradiction to Francis on many points. Surely that wasn’t their intention.

Also, we read: “Most Reverend John C. Wester, Archbishop of Santa Fe, has not
appointed any pastors or priests to the churches, communities or organizations listed below:…”

So, another criterion is whether or not the Archbishop appointed the priest?

That means that if there were a Church of, say, the Ordinariate of St. Peter (Roman Catholics of the “Anglican” use with their own bishop and structures) there, in the eyes of the Archdiocese they wouldn’t be Catholic either, since Wester would not have appointed the priest there.

That’s pretty insulting.

Look. I think reasonable people will admit that public figures like Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden are really lousy Catholics, scandalously, so scandalously that bishops are obliged to apply can. 915 in their cases. They are bad Catholics, but they are still Catholics.

But the priests of the SSPX and the Latin Rite Roman Catholics of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter aren’t Catholics? Because Wester didn’t appoint them?

Who wrote this thing?

What I find really interesting is the large number of independent chapels people have set up there. That suggests to me that, had there been adequate pastoral care for these people, they might be in union with the local church.

One indication that pastoral care for these people is not of interest to them is in the fact that they admit that for one place they don’t have current information. You would think that before issuing a public statement like that they would have at least gotten the facts.

To be fair, this list does not go after only the traditionally minded Catholics, but also “Catholics for Choice Organization”. And there’s, “Bread of Life Catholic Charismatic Church of Canada” (I’m not making that up). Who knows what they get up to.

Still, the pronouncement about the SSPX chapel there is surely wrong. It is obvious that they are Catholic even from the consistent previous statements from the Holy See that people fulfill their Sunday obligation by attending their Masses (cf. can. 1248 §1)

Posted in SSPX, The Drill | Tagged Archd. Santa Fe, can. 1248, SSPX
15 Comments

Daily Rome Shot 307

Posted on 19 October 2021 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Photo by The Great Roman™

Use your phone’s camera

Posted in SESSIUNCULA | Tagged Rome Shot
8 Comments

Two macabre images come together

Posted on 18 October 2021 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Damian Thompson is one of those writers who reminds me of Hamlet’s advice to Polonius: “After your death you were better have a bad epitaph than their ill report while you live.”

Lately, at The Spectator, he offered some views on Francis in no uncertain terms. “Is The Pope a Protestant?” Pretty rough assesment.

Today I saw a tweet from Damiam that left me completely puzzled. Perhaps you, also.

Pope Francis sends pastoral message to Latin Mass Catholics… pic.twitter.com/HLekjbpRW3

— Damian Thompson (@holysmoke) October 18, 2021

An unhappy Damian. Brrrrr.

Context.

Francis recently sent a long message to something called World Meeting Of Popular Movements. Yes, that’s a thing. When I saw the groups title I instantly thought of the international Comintern World Congresses once held in the Soviet Union.

I’ll get to what the mask thing is about at the end. It puzzled me too, but I hunted it down.

In the meantime…

I googled “World Meeting Of Popular Movements” and followed some links. You can find some really intereesting things by doing that. http://popularmovements.org/

The “About” page tells you who they were involved with in 2017:

The Organizing Committee for the Modesto meeting has included representatives from the following groups:

- Direct Action & Research Training Center
- Gamaliel Foundation
- Homeboy Industries
- Interfaith Worker Justice
- Jesuit Ministries of the Jesuit Conference of Canada & the United States
- National Domestic Workers Alliance
- PICO National Network
- Service Employees International Union
- U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives

Let’s look at just one. And not the Jesuits.

PICO is now called Faith In Action – leftist groups often morph and change names to keep people from making connections easily. This group grew out of Saul Alinsky’s Industrial Areas Foundation. They receive funding from the Ford Foundation. They get funding from the Open Areas Foundation (= George Soros). They lobby for full citzenship for illegal aliens and universal healthcare.

In his message to the Meeting of Popular Movements, HERE, Francis made a startling comparison.

Pope Francis says that the protests following the killing of #GeorgeFloyd had the spirit of the Good Samaritan.

“This movement did not pass by on the other side of the road when it saw the injury to human dignity caused by an abuse of power.” pic.twitter.com/84nfB4R2vD

— Christopher Lamb (@ctrlamb) October 16, 2021

Look at that again.

The “spirit” of the Good Samaritan – you know the parable – is likened to the protests following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

I grew up in S. Minneapolis in the area where the “spirit of the Good Samaritan” burned and looted.

Francis likened the “spirit” of the Good Samaritan to the protests following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis!

Eccles – with typical brilliance – put it this way. HERE

It seems that this well-known parable did not turn out exactly as reported by St Luke, and – like the Beatitudes, the Lord’s Prayer and other Biblical errors – it required updating. Count your blessings that this was done by papal decree, and not another synod!

It seems that, after delivering the mugging victim to the inn, and binding up his wounds, Sam [the Good Samaritan] reacted in the only proper way. He embarked on a campaign of violence, setting fire to buildings, attacking random people who had nothing to do with the muggers, looting shoe shops (medieval paintings often show the Good Samaritan dressed in a pair of brand new Adidas trainers), and generally harassing anyone who got in his way.

Here is a bit more of Francis’ text.

Do you know what comes to mind now when, together with popular movements, I think of the Good Samaritan? Do you know what comes to mind? The protests over the death of George Floyd. It is clear that this type of reaction against social, racial or macho injustice can be manipulated or exploited by political machinations or whatever, but the main thing is that, in that protest against this death, there was the Collective Samaritan who is no fool! This movement did not pass by on the other side of the road when it saw the injury to human dignity caused by an abuse of power. The popular movements are not only social poets but also collective Samaritans.

The Collective Samaritan.

I’m reminded of something in the Screwtape Letters that I can’t put my finger on. I believe at one point Screwtape tells his pupil to get his “patient” interested in the poor in general rather than let him get interested in helping this poor man right in front of him. I recall something from Screwtape’s “toast” speech also something about how Hell manipulated the collective in the 20th c. May you all can find what I mean.

As far as that image that Damian posted – he was riffing on the message sent to the “World Meeting Of Popular Movements” – it took a while for me to hunt it down.

It is from a Netflix Sci-Fi dystopian series out of Korea, in which masked figure have different symbols on their masks to designate their roles. The square means hierarchy. I have not seen the series, which in English is called “Squid Game”.

Posted in Francis, What are they REALLY saying? | Tagged George Floyd, World Meeting Of Popular Movements
11 Comments

Newly Catholic, formerly Anglican bishop has some goals. Wherein Fr. Z offers thoughts.

Posted on 18 October 2021 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I read at the National Catholic Register that the newly converted, former Anglican Bishop of Rochester, Michael Nazir-Ali, has a couple of goals for his new life as a Catholic, under the provisions of Anglicanorum coetibus.

Remember: Benedict XVI is the Pope of Christian Unity!

Nazir-Ali has observations on the implosion of the Church of England and he hopes to be ordained for the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham.

The article ends with this:

“Hopefully, becoming an ordinariate Catholic will enable me to support Christians closer to home who are marginalized and hounded by a liberal totalitarianism that demands total consensus,” he wrote.

Honorable.

Let’s unpack the possibilities.

“Christians closer to home” – e.g., Catholics in the UK

“who are marginalized” – e.g., the single most marginalized group in the Church (i.e., closer to home) are, without question, those who desire traditional expressions of sacred liturgical worship, the Vetus Ordo. START WITH THEM!

“and hounded by a liberal totalitariasm” – e.g., those who desire traditional expressions of sacred liturgical worship, the Vetus Ordo.

“that demands total consensus” – e.g., “Art. 1. The liturgical books promulgated by Saint Paul VI and Saint John Paul II, in conformity with the decrees of Vatican Council II, are the unique expression of the lex orandi of the Roman Rite.” From Francis’ Plessy v. Ferguson legacy document, the cruel Traditionis custodes.

I hope that soon-to-be Father Nazir-Ali will start NOW to learn the Traditional Latin Mass and then be of also not just to his fellows in the Ordinariate, but also for the his most marginalized group in the Church, close to him, hounded by totalitarians who demand total consensus.

Posted in Benedict XVI, Fr. Z KUDOS, Pope of Christian Unity, Priests and Priesthood, Save The Liturgy - Save The World, The Coming Storm, Wherein Fr. Z Rants | Tagged Anglicanorum coetibus, Michael Nazir-Ali, Pope of Christian Unity
9 Comments

Your Good News

Posted on 18 October 2021 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I haven’t asked for a while about YOUR good news.

What’s up? Especially interesting is how grace is working in your lives.

Last night we had a very good and active ZedNet. Some of the participants talked about what was going on in their parishes.

I have made some improvements for my video streaming set up.

I received from an unidentified reader a contraption from my wish list that will be sure to make life a little easier. There was no gift slip with it, so I don’t know whom I should thank. But, thank you.

Hungarian is going along, as are chess problems and games against bots with high ratings (which is discouraging and motivating at the same time).

A phone call came today which may present an unexpected turn of events. Time will tell.

And Fr. Dana Christensen now has THREE Seven Sisters groups.

Posted in SESSIUNCULA |
6 Comments

UPDATE on Fr. Christensen (ALS) and Seven Sisters Apostolate – Good news!

Posted on 18 October 2021 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Elsewhere I asked about your good news. This news, however, deserves its own post.

Awhile back I suggested that some of you could join the Seven Sisters Apostolate to pray for Fr. Dana Christensen, a young priest suffering with ALS (“Lou Gehrig’s disease”).

The Seven Sisters in a nutshell: 7 women and perhaps a couple alternates, commit for 1 year to 1 hour of prayer for 1 priest each week. Hence, there is a lady on Monday, one on Tuesday, etc., ideally in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.

Since I posted a call for a Seven Sisters for Fr. Christensen, I received this:

There are 21 intercessors for the good Father!
We will cover him with Holy Hours morning, noon and night…
3 holy hours each day!

The Anchoress wants to make contact with Fr Christensen –
and let him know the good news! The first Hour was offered last Sunday – and
less than one week later – we have three Holy Hours each day! All glory to God!

I’ve helped to get them all connected, and so my work here is done… for the time being.

This means that Father has THREE Holy Hours a DAY being raised up to God.

Some time back, Fr. Christensen wrote this:

I am personally at peace with this, although I have my moments. I am convinced that this is a mysterious gift from God through the hands of Our Lady of Fatima to bring me to salvation and entrust me with the mission to live my priesthood in a new way. The way of the cross that Jesus is inviting me to walk will not be easy, but He and His holy Mother Mary will uphold me. I continue to do my best to surrender myself to Jesus knowing that He will take care of everything.

I ask all of you to pray for a miraculous healing through the intercession of Venerable Fulton J. Sheen using the following prayer.

Eternal Father, You alone grant us every blessing in Heaven and on earth, through the redemptive mission of Your Divine Son, Jesus Christ, and by the working of the Holy Spirit. If it be according to Your Will, glorify Your servant, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, by granting the favor I now request through his prayerful intercession (mention your request here – [the swift, complete and lasting healing of Fr. Christensen’s ALS]). I make this prayer confidently through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

That was some time ago. His condition is much worse now. I believe he writes email with eye movement and he has to have 24/7 care.

Dear readers, Fr. Christensen has asked that you pray for miraculous healing through the intercession of Fulton Sheen.

What inevitably happens next is that people, well-meaning of course, then post comments like: “I’ll pray for you especially to St. Ugthred and St. Wilibrod, my favorite saints.” To which I respond, “Thanks! But would you please pray to Fulton Sheen, like Fr. C asked?” And then get back, “Okay! And St. Joan the Astonishing, too!” Which brings the next volley: “Please just ask Fulton Sheen?” Which results in, “Okay, and Jesus and Mary and all the Saints!”

At which point I pound my head against the desk.

For a miracle to be useful for a cause, there must be a way to substantiate that prayers for intercession were raised that THAT PARTICULAR Venerable or Blessed. If the cause hears that virtually everyone is being evoked, it becomes less likely that the miracle will be helpful for the cause.

Get it?

Fulton Sheen.