Daily Rome Shot 1431 – “Less chattering … more processions!” (Wherein Fr. Z rants.)

Posted on 15 September 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From The Parish™, where I will soon return.  Yesterday there was a procession with a relic of the Cross through the streets of the neighborhood, down the Via dei Pettinari, onto the Via Giulia, back up to the Piazza Farnese, and back to church.

This is the balm which our sore wounded society needs.

As an old bishop outside the meeting of the Italian Bishops once erupted on hearing we had had a procession in the Vatican Gardens the day before: ““Meno chiacchiere … più processioni! … Less chattering … more processions!”

Do I hear an “AMEN!”?

There is so much chatter today, and must of it is as toxic as the Hell that spawned it.

I hope you will make time in your lives to make visits to the Blessed Sacrament during the week.

Say the Rosary.

GO TO CONFESSION!

Am I wrong?

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Meanwhile, renegade octogenarian nuns leave the nursing home where they were unhappy and returned to their convent! HERE

Meanwhile, there is a story in the Irish Times – not where I would have expected – that young men (in Ireland) are turning to the Church. HERE

Meanwhile…. Anish defeated the unlikable (but admittedly strong) Niemann. The chess spoke for itself. HERE

White to move and win.  Tricky.

NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.

Posted in SESSIUNCULA, Wherein Fr. Z Rants |
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“Our Lady of Sorrows Project” – 15 September – Feast of the Seven Sorrows of Mary

Posted on 15 September 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Today, the day after the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, is the Feast of Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  There is an analogous commemoration on Friday after 1st Passion Sunday.

Some time ago, I wrote a series of reflections on the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin.  I invite you to have a look.

Our Lady of Sorrows Project

Here are links to the individual posts

1st Sorrow – The Prophecy of Simeon
2nd Sorrow – The Flight into Egypt
3rd Sorrow – The loss of the Child Jesus in Jerusalem
4th Sorrow – Mary meets Jesus on the way to Calvary
5th Sorrow – The Crucifixion of Jesus
6th Sorrow – The Piercing of the Side of Jesus, and His Deposition
7th Sorrow – The Burial of Jesus

At the famous Basilica in Rome, Santo Stefano Rotondo we find this well-known image:

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Daily Rome Shot 1430

Posted on 14 September 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

This crucifix, in San Marcello, was carried through the city for days during the great plague of 1522. Because this crucifix had survived a massive fire it was deemed miraculous. A huge penitential procession went from the San Marcello to St. Peter’s Basilica. Accounts say that the procession lasted 16 days, 4-20 August (in the heat). The plague receded. When they returned to San Marcello, the plague was over.

Welcome Registrant:

DevonM

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Hey Fathers!  How about a clerical Guayabera shirt for the hot summer days?

That’s about right.

Nice people! Great service!

 

 

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Your Sunday Sermon Notes – 13th Sunday after Pentecost (N.O.: 23rd) 2025

Posted on 14 September 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Too many people today are without good, strong preaching, to the detriment of all. Share the good stuff.

Was there a GOOD point made in the sermon you heard at your Mass of obligation for this Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross in both the Vetus and Novus Ordo.

Tell about attendance especially for the Traditional Latin Mass.

Any local changes or (hopefully good) news?

A couple thoughts about the sign of the cross: HERE  A taste…

[…]

Speaking of relics the Windy Prelate of the Lake opined in his archdiocesan newspaper that you – you, dear reader – are seeking after “dead faith” in your desire for the Traditional Latin Mass. He cited the tired old chestnut of Jaroslav Pelikan – Lutheran turned Orthodox – waved about by every liturgical demolition crew with Sacrosanctum Concilium in one hand and a sledge-hammer in the other. “Tradition is the living faith of the dead, traditionalism is the dead faith of the living” is trotted out as if it were a papal decree to justify every banal novelty from blessing after Mass with a guitar to wafting out giant soap-bubbles (2022 – Holy Family Catholic Community in Inverness, IL). He cited St. Vincent of Lérins about growth and development with the analogy of a child growing to be a man and still being the same person. But St. Vincent meant growth, not grotesque deformation. Sacrosanctum Concilium 23 required that in the liturgical reform desired by the Council Fathers,

Innovationes, demum, ne fiant nisi vera et certa utilitas Ecclesiae id exigat, et adhibita cautela ut novae formae ex formis iam exstantibus organice quodammodo crescant.… [T]here must be no innovations unless the good of the Church genuinely and certainly requires them; and care must be taken that any new forms adopted should in some way grow organically from forms already existing.

[…]

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Pilgrimage to Domrémy

Posted on 14 September 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I received an email about a pilgrimage which will take place in France from 27-28 September to celebrate the 600th anniversary of the apparitions of St. Michael to St. Joan of Arc.   Link HERE

They will have conferences, rosaries and Masses. On Sunday, St. Michael’s Day, there will be a Pontifical Mass in the traditional Roman Rite at Domrémy.

Got to the site and check it out.   Here is a link to the route and schedule.  HERE

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Daily Rome Shot 1429

Posted on 13 September 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

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Something good.

Across the pond.

Seriously?

As a commentator remarked:

“Formed by drones”

And…

Nice people! Great service!

White to move and mate in 4.

NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.

I have a chess.com affiliate. Click and join!

Interested in learning?  Try THIS.

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Daily Rome Shot 1428

Posted on 12 September 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Please remember me when shopping online and use my affiliate links.  US HERE – UK HERE  WHY?  This helps to pay for health insurance (massively hiked for this new year of surprises), utilities, groceries, etc..  At no extra cost, you provide help for which I am grateful.

From Catholic Arena… Arena! No kidding… A wheelchair bound man has been martyred in the streets of Lyon by three Muslims in gruesome fashion because of his Christian faith Ashur Sharanya was an Assyrian Christian and had lived in France for decades after fleeing persecution in Iraq He livestreamed videos discussing faith and sometimes critiquing Islam Three Muslim young men hacked him to death with a machete yesterday on livestream in broad daylight, stabbing him in the neck and leaving him to die. The attackers could be heard screaming about his faith. He was the target of previous threats because of his Christianity. Emmanuel Macron has not yet commented and it is unlikely that he will, given his silence on previous attacks on churches and Christians.

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12 September – Battle of Vienna (1683) – Feast of the Holy Name of Mary

Posted on 12 September 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

In the Divine Praises we pray:

Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.

A few days ago, 8 September, we celebrated the Nativity of Mary.

Today, 12 September, is the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary.

Devotion to the name of Mary was at first in Spain, by Carmelites.  It was associated with the Octave after the Nativity of Mary.  However, in 1683 Pope Bl. Innocent XI – his tomb was long in St. Peter’s upper Basilica but I think he has been moved – put the Feast on the Church’s universal calendar.  Pope St. Pius X established the Feast on 12 September.

This Feast commemorates the defeat of the Islamic invaders in the Battle of Vienna in 1683.  Vienna was surrounded by the Turks when the King of Poland, John  Sobieski, arrived.

The King served Mass in the morning and lead his smaller force against the invaders, winning a great victory.

81,000 against the Turks’ 130,000.  In the afternoon there was a famous charge by Poland’s 3000 impressive “Winged Hussars”, the largest cavalry charge in history.  Game over for the invaders.

You might not be a Winged Hussar, but your baptism and earthly breath make you, right now, a mighty spiritual warrior whose prayers receive their wings from devotion and intention.

What can not be accomplished through the sincere, focused, confidently loving invocation of the Blessed Virgin by means of the Holy Rosary, repeating her name and the Most Holy Name?

Winged Hussar’s helped to save Christendom.   Christendom, our patrimony, has been squandered.  That doesn’t mean that there are not Christendom causes in our day.  One of them – with painfully blatant urgency – is the preservation of the Traditional Roman Rite.

Will you be a shirker?  Do your part, through grace and elbow grease.  We have to do our part to receive the graces we need.

The Collect of the Feast:

Concede, quaesumus, omnipotens Deus: ut fideles tui, qui sub sanctissimae Virginis Mariae Nomine et protectione laetantur; eius pia intercessione a cunctis malis liberentur in terris, et ad gaudia aeterna pervenire mereantur in coelis.

 

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Daily Rome Shot 1427 – Requiescat

Posted on 11 September 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

In front of the American Embassy in Rome.

I hadn’t paid a lot of attention to Charlie Kirk. I knew who he was and what he did.  He seemed a good, God fearing man who loved his family and country. The night before he was killed short videos of him taking questions from students on different campuses showed up in my YouTube lineups. I watched a few. I’ve never watched any before and videos of him had never shown up as suggestions in my YouTube lineup before. The next day, he was killed while doing exactly what was being shown in the videos I saw (for the first time) a few hours before.

May he rest in peace.  Pray for his family.  Pray for this country.

 

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In one of Charlie Kirk’s last videos he honored the Blessed Virgin Mary and invited Protestants, Evangelicals to honor her more

Posted on 10 September 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

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