Please use my link when shopping online

Posted on 29 June 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I just ordered a pair of new daily wear Bates boots using my own Amazon search box, which you can see near the top of the side bar.

I simply typed in the words Bates 5″ leather boot and I saw my options come up.  Moreover, I’ll get back part of the purchase price.

When you use my links or my searchbox (on the side bar) I get a small amount of the purchase.  You don’t have to buy just Catholic stuff.  I have no idea of who you are.  You don’t pay anymore than you would otherwise and it really helps me out.

You don’t have to enter each individual item.  Once you go in through my search box or link, amazon remembers for a little while that you entered that way and everything you buy will help me.

Please remember to use my entry point when you shop online!

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Speaking of homosexuality and Jesuit homosexualist activists…

Posted on 29 June 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Speaking of homosexuality and Jesuit homosexualist activists…

From The Catholic Thing we have:

De-homosexualizing the American Church

He makes a good argument about the urgent need to de-“gay” the American Church.  His solution is dead wrong.

From Crisis we have:

James Martin and the Question of the Kiss

Remember that Jesuit Martin said that homsexuals should kiss each other in church during Mass.

In his response to perhaps slightly credulous Prof. Robby George, Austin Ruse writes:

The problem with James Martin’s crusade is not just that he is leading young men and women astray with his statements about homosexuality. It is also that he gives aid and comfort to the enemies of the Church and God’s precious children.

 

Posted in Sin That Cries To Heaven, The Drill | Tagged , ,
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ASK FATHER: Priest tells woman not to wear veil at Mass

Posted on 28 June 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader…

A woman was told by her priest to NOT wear her veil to Mass. It was blessed and so she didn’t know if she was required by obedience to not wear it, or since because it was blessed she should ignore his request. I believe she stopped when he gave a scorching homily about women trying to seem holier than thou by what they wear to church.

First, shame on that priest.

While there is nothing that requires a woman to cover her head in church (except perhaps for Paul’s inspired words in 1 Corinthians), neither is there anything to prohibit a woman from covering her head.

Moreover, there is nothing immodest about these head coverings.  On the contrary.

Moreover, there is a long and well-founded tradition of women wearing a head covering.

The blessing of the veil would not make a difference insofar as obedience is concerned.  Father doesn’t have the authority to tell her what she can wear on her head unless it is patently immodest.

Does he also tell women that they cannot wear makeup or jewelry?  Those are certainly vanities, whereas a head covering is meant to obscure rather than to reveal.

And I doubt that Father is psychic so that he can read the hearts of women… the most  obscure of all mysteries to men, come to think about it.

Father ought to mind his own business and see to himself and how he is appareled.

Does Father wear the proper vestments for liturgical worship and dress properly as a cleric?

I don’t know who this priest is, but I suspect the answers to the above are “No” and “No”.

Does he similarly preach about the beachwear worn by the rest of the non-veil wearing congregation?

I’ll bet he doesn’t.

Anyone who wears, say, shirts with the flashy logos of their favorite teams is also saying: “Hey! Look at me and think about something that has nothing to do with why we are in church!”

Maybe Father is distracted by the beauty of modest women in veils.   In that case, I recommend two solutions to his problem.  First, back in the day and today in traditional circles priests were instructed to keep their eyes lowered while processing and while saying Mass.  Second, stop saying Mass facing the people and start saying Mass ad orientem!

These could help him with either his distraction or his misogyny.

 

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Keep your eyes and ears open for “lived reality” language

Posted on 28 June 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

At Fishwrap there are a couple things today which exemplify the starting point of the Left.

First, I note a revealing comment by the Wile E. Coyote of the catholic Left. MSW wrote, inter alia, about the recent death of Charles Krauthammer:

Speaking of the state of conservatism, I cannot fail to note the death of Charles Krauthammer, the former speechwriter for Walter Mondale who became one of the leading conservative public intellectuals in our time. I knew Krauthammer from his days at The New Republic and always appreciated his intellectual rigor even when we reached wildly different conclusions, which happened often. There was a rigidity to his thought, an unwillingness to accept that ideas change, and must change, as they are applied to the real world, but he was no hypocrite as too many Washington, D.C.-based intellectuals are or become.

(No, MSW doesn’t have a high opinion of his own abilities.)

Note what he says: “Ideas change as they are applied to the real world.” Card. Kasper would approve.

Moving on, also at Fishwrap, in a talk the Bishop of San Diego, Most Rev. Robert McElroy exposed his “three fundamental foundations” for his understanding of pastoral theology. Namely:

  • The “assertion that not only the activity, but the very nature of the church, involves at its heart pastoral action to heal the hearts of men and women who are suffering”;
  • Recognition “that the church should mirror the pastoral action of the Lord himself”;
  • The principle “that the church’s pastoral identity and action must be rooted in the life situations that men and women actually experience in the world today.”

There it is.  The Fishwrap piece stresses “lived reality”.

This enables the claimant to set aside just about any doctrine or practice of the Church. What the Church teaches is just a position that can change, according to the perceived needs of the moment. And if you claim that you are being moved by “the spirit” over and against the mere “institutional” Church, all the better. Then you can start the virtue signalling in earnest and even vilify those backward looking mean people who cling to their doctrines and laws against the obvious movements of “the spirit”.

I direct the readership to a post from last February. It’s about “lived experience”.  HERE
Gerhard Ludwig Card. Müller has something to add to the discussion.

These folks on the Left have a fluid relationship with the truth, which is an ever moving target. The scholar Thomas Heinrich Stark pointed out, those who talk about bending the Church’s teachings (and practices) to “reality”, would say that truth can vary from place to place and time to time. What might have once been true doesn’t necessary need to be true now. The German/Kasperite/Rahnerian approach replaces the philosophical grounding of theology with politics (majorities can determine truth, and that might diverge from what people thought in the past). Truth changes according to shifting mores, values, etc. To hell with reason (e.g., syllogisms).

You might read the rather difficult, but dead-on right, essay by Thomas Heinrich Stark in Catholic World Report: German Idealism and Cardinal Kasper’s Theological Project. HERE   In essence, Kasper and Co. replace philosophy with politics: majority rule (“lived experience”) can change interpretation of Scripture, doctrine, whatever.

You can see how pernicious this is.  Be on your guard.

Posted in Liberals, The Coming Storm, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged , , , , ,
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Waltham, MA council votes to seize Church property by eminent domain

Posted on 28 June 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From HERE:

Waltham City Council Votes To Take Stigmatine Property For HS
It was a 10 to 4 vote after more than three hours in a closed-door session.

WALTHAM, MA — Waltham City Council voted to take the Stigmatine property by eminent domain to use for the new High School.

The vote on Monday night to take the 46 acres of land owned by the religious order came after the years of controversy surrounding the property’s future. City Council members went into a closed-door session, the last such session scheduled before the summer, to discuss strategy related to the high school. They were supposed to come out by 7:30 p.m. to hold an open session. Instead, after three hours in executive session they came out with an announcement. There would be a vote in open session.

The final vote was 10 to 4. And the room went wild. Many of the people who had packed the room three hours earlier to show they were eager for an outcome, mostly in favor of the Stigmatine Property on Lincoln Street, cheered, giving the news a standing ovation.

The four councilors who voted against the proposal were Councilors Diane LeBlanc and Bob Logan along Dan Romard and Carlos Vidal.  [They published the names only of those who said NO.  I wonder why?]

This comes after years of back and forth on just where to place the new high school and multiple clear statements from the Stigmatines saying they did not wish to sell.

[…]

Posted in Si vis pacem para bellum!, The Coming Storm, The future and our choices, The Last Acceptable Prejudice | Tagged ,
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A reminder about the Apostolic Pardon given by a priest to the dying

Posted on 28 June 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Two recent email exchanges brought up the importance of the Apostolic Pardon (AP).  It is also sometimes called the Apostolic Blessing.

The AP is a special indulgence given by a priest to a person who is dying which remits all temporal punishment due to sins.   The AP does not, itself, forgive sins.   The AP should be received in the state of grace.  Hence, it is generally imparted after sacramental confession of sins (if possible) and/or the sacrament of anointing, possibly with Viaticum (final reception of the Eucharist).

If there is no priest available at the time, a person can gain a plenary indulgence at the time of death if they are properly disposed and under the usual conditions.

With Summorum Pontificum we have also the traditional form of the AP along with two newer forms.

The older, traditional form of the AP:

“Ego facultate mihi ab Apostolica Sede tributa, indulgentiam plenariam et remissionem omnium peccatorum tibi concedo et benedico te. In nomine Patris, et Filii, + et Spirtus Sancti, Amen.”

“By the Faculty which the Apostolic See has given me, I grant you a plenary indulgence and the remission of all your sins, and I bless you. In the Name of the Father and the Son + and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

Two newer forms:

“Ego facultáte mihi ab Apostólica Sede tribúta, indulgéntiam plenáriam et remissiónem ómnium peccatórum tibi concédo, in nómine Patris, et Fílii, + et Spíritus Sancti. Amen”

“By the authority which the Apostolic See has given me, I grant you a full pardon and the remission of all your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, + and of the Holy Spirit.”

“Per sancrosáncta humánæ reparatiónis mystéria, remíttat tibi omnípotens Deus omnes præséntis et futúræ vitæ pœnas, paradísi portas apériat et ad gáudia te sempitérna perdúcat. Amen.”

“Through the holy mysteries of our redemption, may almighty God release you from all punishments in this life and in the life to come. May He open to you the gates of paradise and welcome you to everlasting joy.”

Frankly, that last one seems … meh… let’s just say that the sign of the Cross is important.

Some people have taken it upon themselves to print up cards with the AP along with a statement like, “I am Catholic.  Please call a priest.”, or words to that effect.

Finally, it is amazing that there are priests who to not know about this.

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Fr. Sherbrooke on the importance of Eucharistic Adoration

Posted on 28 June 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Please rush over to the UK’s best Catholic weekly and read the great article by my friend Fr. Alexander Sherbrooke, of St Patrick’s at Soho Square in London.

HERE

Fr. Sherbrooke is a priest’s priest, who has done amazing things in his challenging central London parish.  Among other things, at his splendid church, there is a kitchen for needy and a 365 hotline for people in crisis or who have prayer petitions.  Those who answer, speak to the caller while before the Blessed Sacrament.

I like to think that Ven. Fulton Sheen is watching over the place.  He lived there during his London sojourn.

Father has written about the importance of Eucharistic Adoration.

Fathers!  Read his article.

Lay people! Read and bring the article to the attention of your priests, especially if you do not have Eucharistic Adoration where you are.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Mail from priests, Our Catholic Identity | Tagged , , ,
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TRAPPIST BEER from MONKS in ENGLAND!

Posted on 27 June 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

The fantastic Benedictine monks of Norcia, Italy, make fantastic beer!  You can help this great traditional community by investing in their monthly beer club.  HERE

I just read a story on the BBC about a group of monks in the UK’s Leicestershire monks who are making Trappist beer.  There’s a video over there.

Leicestershire monks brew UK’s first Trappist beer

Mount Saint Bernard Abbey, near Coalville, is only the world’s 12th to get permission to call itself a Trappist brewery.

The beer, Tynt Meadow, comes in at 7.4% ABV.

Named after the meadow in which monks originally settled on the site in 1835, it will be on sale at the abbey and beer shops next month.

The monks began looking at opening a brewery in 2013, after closing down their dairy farm when it became economically unviable.

Brothers visited other Trappist breweries – whose beers are regarded as among the finest in the world – as part of their research, and conducted their first experimental brew on St Lutgard’s Day, a saint famous for surviving on bread and beer during fasts.

Dom Erik Varden, abbot of Mount Saint Bernard, said he was “very relieved” to see the brewery up and running, and hoped it could help them extend their community work.

“Beer is a good, honest, nurturing drink – our Belgian friends said more than once it should be liquid bread and not coloured water, and that’s what we’re aiming to live up to,” he said.

Roger Protz, one of the country’s leading beer writers, said the beer was “seriously nice” and should generate “enormous interest” from beer drinkers.

“It’s really very exciting – this is the first beer brewed by monks [in England] since the Reformation,” he said.

Get that? Since the REFORMATION!

So, this is Counter-Reformation beer! Hence, get lots of beer and share it with your non-Catholic, Protestant friends.

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ASK FATHER: Humidifiers filled with Holy Water

Posted on 27 June 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

I saw a meme today to the effect of:

Humidifiers fill air with water molecules from a source of water. If that source of water was Holy Water, would it essentially cleanse the room of all evil?

GUEST PRIEST RESPONSE: Fr. Tim Ferguson

Holy Steam, Batman…

Holy Water is a very effective sacramental of the Church. The Church uses Holy Water for blessing people, things, places, and for casting out demons. One enters very tenuous territory when one starts attributing magical properties to the Church’s sacramentals. When a room is blessed with Holy Water, and the water evaporates – is the room still blessed? Of course! While a powerful sacramental, there’s nothing magical about the Holy Water itself.

Sacramentals lose their character as sacramentals when they cease to be objectively what they were as sacramentals. My first rosary, as a child, was used pretty roughly. I would take it on bike rides, and it occasionally swung into the spokes. I prayed it traipsing through the woods, and swimming in the lake. Once the original rosary case had fallen apart, my rosary shared space in my pants pocket with coins, interesting stones and twigs and all sorts of the flotsam and jetsam of my boyhood. It went through the washer and dryer on more than one occasion. When the first Hail Mary bead fell off, I simply made a mental note to add another prayer to that decade. Then when the second one fell, and the third one, and the fourth one – by the time I entered the college seminary, there were a total of twelve beads remaining on my rosary. It had effectively ceased being the blessed, sacramental rosary it was when I first got it. I buried it respectfully in our local cemetery, but kept the crucifix, which was still in good shape.

When Holy Water ceases to be water – when it evaporates – is ceases to be Holy Water.

Now, the scientific minded among you are saying – well, what if it evaporates in the Holy Water bottle on a hot day, but then condenses in that same bottle? Or, if it freezes, it ceases to be water and become ice – but then if it melts? (Many times in Northern Michigan, the Holy Water stoup freezes and folks have to break the layer of ice to get at the water in the bottom).

Well, those questions are above my paygrade. I certainly think it would be prudent to have fresh holy water on hand at all times. If there’s some doubt about whether by freezing and thawing, or evaporating and condensing it has lost it’s blessing, simple pour it into the ground (respectfully) and ask you friendly neighborhood priest to use the ancient ritual (rather than the execrable Book of (Non)Blessings) and bless some more.

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Germans and the White Thing

Posted on 27 June 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

The German bishops have been driving the debate about admitting people to Communion who do not believe what the Catholic Church teaches about the Eucharist, priesthood, etc.   The Pope and the CDF have both said things (admittedly not enough) that ought to have signaled how very bad that idea is, but, no, since they are German bishops, they will continue to push.  After, they have the Church Tax income to protect.  Hence, as Fishwrap gleefully reports, they feel “obliged to stride forward”. “Courageously”.

How “courageous” are they? The German bishops released their document without any signature or the name of an office, etc. Hence, technically no one is putting his neck out and taking responsibility. How courageous.

A Lutheran pastor reposted comments by Msgr. Charles Pope.  They get it.

The main point they make, these days Communion has become, in the eyes of many Catholics, a sign of hospitality, welcome, feeling good about yourself.

Doctrine means nothing in the face of sentimentality.

I’m afraid that, for many – even priests and bishops – Communion is now the moment we get the white thing in our hands and then we sing the song.

The “white thing” is a sign that people here like me.  Hence, if I can’t have the “white thing” before we sing the song, I don’t feel good about myself in this setting… and that’s bad.  I’m supposed to feel good about myself.  You have to make me feel good about myself, or you are mean.  The white thing in the hand is the token that this is a nice place.

That’s what Communion is being reduced to: the white thing that means we are nice.

Posted in Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Our Catholic Identity, The Coming Storm, The future and our choices |
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