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

Food for thought: “How to Red-Pill a Bishop”

Posted on 16 November 2020 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Food for thought: "How to Red-Pill a Bishop" Today at Crisis there is a thoughtful piece by Michael Warren Davis about bishops, both impressive and dreadful.

How to Red-Pill a Bishop

For those of you who have been living the feral life in depths of the forest for a couple decades, “to red-pill” is a reference to the movie The Matrix, in which people are effectively plugged into a massive computer program and all of life they think they experience is a simulation. However, rebels can get you out of the simulation by entering it themselves, telling you the truth about what’s going on, and the offering you either a blue pill to swallow, so you can stay in the simulation, or a red pill which is really a program that detaches you from the simulation and jolts you into the real world, dominated entirely by Google and Twitter and the MSM…. er um… no… machines and AI bent on the destruction of the human race.

Hmmm… the Matrix analogy and the present day hierarchy have more in comment than I thought.

In any event, in the Matrix, the hero gets “red-pilled”, told the harsh truth leading to his free choice to act.

Can we think of some bishops we would like to “red-pill”? I can.

How do we do that?

As St. Francis de Sales – who worked to red-pill Calvinists – said:

“Soyez toujours le plus doux que vous pourrez, et souvenez-vous que l’on prends plus de mouches avec une cuillerée de miel qu’avec cent barils de vinaigre.”

And bishops are tougher to convert than Calvinists.

What does Davis recommend?

You’ll have to read it.

However, he does have this good quote from Card. Sarah at the top:

“If you think that your priests and bishops are not saints, then be one for them.”

And this one from Fulton Sheen in the body.

“Who is going to save our Church? Not our bishops, not our priests and religious. It is up to you, the people. You have the minds, the eyes, and the ears to save the Church. Your mission is to see that your priests act like priests, your bishops act like bishops, and your religious act like religious.”

That, by the way, has been on the sidebar of this blog for a long time now.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Hard-Identity Catholicism, The Coming Storm, The future and our choices | Tagged bishops, Matrix, Michael Warren Davis, red pill
10 Comments

St. Gertrude and the Purgatory Prayer

Posted on 16 November 2020 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Sometimes I get questions about certain practices or prayers. Someone might find a slip of paper saying, “Pray this and X will happen.” Some will ask me about prayers that receive X number of days off of Purgatory.

There is a prayer associated with today’s saint, St. Gertrude “the Great” about which a claim is made that it will release from Purgatory 1000 souls.

St. Gertrude was a 13th c. Benedictine, saint and mystic. She received private revelations. She is often called “the Great”. She was an early promoter of veneration of Sacred Heart with a powerful concern for the souls in Purgatory..

Here is the prayer:

“Eternal Father, I offer You the most precious blood of thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, for those in my own home, and in my family. Amen.”

That’s a lovely prayer. It is attributed to St. Gertrude the Great.

Nowhere in the writings that have come down to us did Gertrude make the claim about 1000 souls.

For the last couple centuries the Church has tried to weed out specious claims that have attached themselves to certain pious practices. This is precisely one of those claims. For this reason the Church abolished the “Toties Quoties” indulgences, etc. (practices by which one could gain any number of plenary indulgences in a day).

None of this means that the prayer is a bad prayer. Claims about it are bad. We can say the same for perfectly acceptable prayers on old holy cards that say that a certain number of days reduced for Purgatory (or other time measures) are obtained.

Number of souls or of days? No. But the prayers can still be good!

Pope Leo XIII tried to suppress a virtual superstition of the nearly “magical” effects of the simple recitation of prayers to free various numbers of souls from Purgatory. You can find his acts in Acta Sanctae Sedis, which was the instrument of promulgation of documents of the Holy See. It’s name eventually changed to Acta Apostolicae Sedis, which is what it is called now. In ASS 31 (1898-99) and ASS 32 (1899-1900). At AAS 32 on p. 243 on Rule 8 we find a condemnation of cards or pages that promise that many souls will be released from Purgatory due to the recitation of a prayer.

The Church gets to establish what indulgences are effective and can be used. The current general grants are found in the Handbook of Indulgences. Everyone should have a copy to reference.

Posted in Saints: Stories & Symbols |
4 Comments

#ASonnetADay – 91. “Some glory in their birth, some in their skill…”

Posted on 15 November 2020 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

#ASonnetADay – 91. “Some glory in their birth, some in their skill…” pic.twitter.com/JySaBh8y2Z

— Fr. John Zuhlsdorf (@fatherz) November 16, 2020

Posted in Poetry, Sonnet A Day |
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ASK FATHER: Since the Church does nothing about Joe Biden, what commandments do I have to follow?

Posted on 14 November 2020 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

Since the “Church” hasn’t excommunicated Joe Biden for his and the Democratic Party stance on abortion, which commandments/teaching do I/we have to follow?

GUEST PRIEST RESPONSE: Fr. Tim Ferguson

A good and timely question. And a dangerous one to answer.

I think we have to recognize the precarious nature of the times we live in – but at the same time, recognize that the times have always been precarious and the Church has an obligation to preach the same Gospel in season and out of season.

The short answer, of course, is we have to follow ALL of the teachings of Christ and His Church, lest we end up in the situation that Mr. Biden and others of similar mind find themselves in.

Our pattern should not be the greatest sinners and the greatest dissenters from Church teaching, but the greatest saints. Would St. Francis advocate for abortion on demand up to the moment of birth? Would St. Thomas More officiate at the “wedding” of two men? Would St. Therese of Lisieux promote suing the Little Sisters of the Poor to try and force them to pay for contraceptives?

Of course not.

That those who advocate for these positions, which are totally contrary to the teachings of the Gospel, have not been warned by canonical penalties to step back from the brink and consider the fate of their eternal souls is a troubling.

That they have, largely, not even been publicly scolded for their heretical and evil public positions is a scandal.

That some members of the hierarchy have even gone so far as to praise them is gut-wrenching.

The Church has, with varying degrees of success and failure, exercised Her right to excommunicate malefactors with great liberality and with great caution. The prudential judgment that is part and parcel of the decision to utilize this and other canonical penalties is open to legitimate debate.

Would the condition of Catholics in England have been better had St. Pius V not excommunicated Queen Elizabeth in 1581? Would the status of the Church have been better had the Venerable Pius XII excommunicated Hitler in 1940?

These are open and reasonable questions. Certainly, the excommunication of Elizabeth did not cause her to turn from her heresy and repent, nor did the failure to excommunicate Hitler make him any better disposed to the Church.

Whether excommunicating Mr. Biden and his fellow partisans would have a positive effect is an reasonable question to ask.

It is clear by any fair reading of canon law that such persistent, public, and prominent support for abortion, redefining marriage, and pushing contraceptives falls within the realm of “obstinately persisting in manifest grave sin” (cf. canon 915), which make them ineligible to be admitted to Holy Communion, as Cardinal Burke and other wise canonists have noted.

In the end, for all the scandal, we need to be attentive to the state of our own souls.

God will not open the doors of paradise to us if we merely point to another and say, “He was worse than I was.”

We know the fate of the obstinate sinner. It should strike us with holy and reverential fear. We should do all we can to avoid that fate ourselves.

We should cling closely to Christ and strive our best to keep His commands – all of them.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Canon Law | Tagged can. 915, excommunication, Joe Biden
21 Comments

#ASonnetADay – 90. “Then hate me when thou wilt; if ever, now…”

Posted on 14 November 2020 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

#ASonnetADay – 90. “Then hate me when thou wilt; if ever, now…” pic.twitter.com/xeo6oW6bgt

— Fr. John Zuhlsdorf (@fatherz) November 15, 2020

Posted in Poetry, Sonnet A Day |
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JUST TOO COOL: Ecclesiastical Sleuths Website

Posted on 14 November 2020 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

One of the regular commentators here sent me this. Very cool.

This follow on a tweet I saw a few days ago, I don’t recall whose, which had a photo of a page of a “Miss Marple” book. Her regular bedtime reading was Imitation of Christ.

Just to round out your non-fiction reading list, I thought I would recommend a website that has compiled a list of 376 clerical detectives, including Catholic priests, monks, and nuns, Protestant ministers, and rabbis (and a few non-monotheists of paganism). The site even lists a plot involving Leo XIII and Sherlock Holmes collaborating (story by Ann Margaret Lewis). These can be tools for evangelization. Harry Kemelmen, for instance, created the Rabbi Small series just so that he could proselytize and explain Judaism. I wish we had someone like that writing a Catholic series. I suspect that you may favor more action/sci-fi stories, but outside of Brother Cadfael and Fr. Brown, few people can name Catholic characters in mystery/detective stories. Catholicism is steeped in mystery and the mystery story is a natural vehicle for explaining its theology.

The site – Clerical Detectives – is HERE.

If you are planning on getting any books, or anything else, PLEASE use my links for amazon shopping. I can’t see who buys what, but I get a small percent of each sale within your session. It’s an important percent of my income, so I am grateful when you use them. And I pray regularly for my benefactors.

US HERE – UK HERE

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Just Too Cool | Tagged reading list
4 Comments

#ASonnetADay – 89. “Say that thou didst forsake me for some fault…”

Posted on 13 November 2020 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

S#ASonnetADay – 89. “Say that thou didst forsake me for some fault…” pic.twitter.com/WFEnGJVI94

— Fr. John Zuhlsdorf (@fatherz) November 14, 2020

Posted in Poetry, Sonnet A Day | Tagged Sonnet A Day, William Shakespeare
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Fishwrap – swamp of pseudo-Catholic wokeness: CANCEL JOHN PAUL II!

Posted on 13 November 2020 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Here is a spectacular example of “fundamental osculation” from the Fishwrap (aka National Schismatic Reporter).

Keep in mind an old principle: Everything before “but” is B as in B, S as in S.

Editorial: US bishops, please suppress the cult of St. John Paul II

In many, many ways, Pope John Paul II was an admirable man. The last decades of the 20th century were enriched immeasurably by his deft use of papal statecraft in raising up the voices of oppressed peoples across Eastern Europe, in his various efforts toward inter-religious dialogue, and by his personal witness to the dignity of aging.

But …

Over the last few years we have seen a systematic attack on the teaching legacy of John Paul II. The deeply flawed McCarrick Report is another shot at that legacy.

[…]

As the Vatican’s devastating report shows clearly, the late pope’s decision to appoint McCarrick as Washington’s archbishop in 2000 came despite severe warnings from his highest-level advisors on both sides of the Atlantic.

[…]

Here’s the problem. The report, while partially informative, is still flawed in that it doesn’t give us enough information on who was giving whom information and what John Paul was being told.

So, what does this swamp of pseudo-Catholic wokeness want?

CANCEL John Paul!

[…]

There is no way anymore to escape the truth. John Paul, in many ways an admirable man, was willfully blind to the abuse of children and young people.

Suppressing the late pontiff’s cult would not mean telling people they need to throw away their relics or their medals — people could still practice private devotion to him. But [there it is again] for abuse victims, their advocates and many others, John Paul’s memory is no longer a blessing. It should not be celebrated in public.

Liberals. The first thing they want to do is stomp the life out of their enemies – and Fishwrap is the enemy of all things John Paul – and then apply their cancel culture tactics, otherwise know as damnatio memoriae.

I have never been convinced by the hand-wringing of the Fishwrap about abuse of minors. This issue is just a club with which they can trash those whom they desire to repress for the sake of tearing down structures and rebuilding in their own image. It’s convenient.

Posted in Liberals | Tagged damnatio memoriae, Fishwrap, John Paul II, National Schismatic Reporter
16 Comments

The best thing I’ve seen, so far, about the infamous McCarrick Report: ‘Status quaestionis’ and sign posts for reform.

Posted on 13 November 2020 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Sadly, I have found so far one of the best examinations of the infamous McCarrick Report.

My own stomach-turning look at the Report left me with the impression that whoever assembled it had the primary objective of shielding Francis through the means of insinuations about the misfeasance of John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Archbp. Viganò. That would be consistent with the way all three have been treated over the last few years. We have seen a systematic attack on the Magisterium of John Paul, marginalization of everything Benedict did, and scorn levelled at Viganò. These three are easy scapegoats.

Last night my friends Robert Royal, Fr. Gerald Murray and Raymond Arroyo talked about the Report, after Arroyo’s phone interview with Archbp. Viganò. HERE

However, this morning I read at Crisis Magazine the best look I’ve seen so far.

How McCarrick Got Away by Michael Warren Davis.

Some readers here are not going to like Davis’ remarks about Viganò. In effect…

We must consider the possibility that Viganò did not carry out his investigation into Priest 3’s abuse. … If Viganò had the opportunity to provide the Vatican with a substantial case against McCarrick in 2012 but failed to do so, then he must accept his share of the blame. And if he’s as committed to institutional reform as he claims, than he will understand if his fellow reformers feel the need to scrutinize his record. He’ll understand that no bishop can be above scrutiny in this matter.

I’d ask, at this point, that people avoid even thinking about my combox until they have read the whole piece at Crisis. It often happens that having read two sentences into posts, people channel their inner Leeroy Jenkins and charge into the combox without a clue. I hope against hope.

Davis look objective about the roles of John Paul and Benedict in the slippery escape of McCarrick. I must admit that their abundance of caution or perhaps fear of negative consequences resulted in a prolongation and worsening of the inevitable agony.

The penultimate part of the piece, however, concerns “the Francis papacy”.

It isn’t pretty. And pay attention to the link he provides to another piece he wrote about Francis and the “Deep Church”. Okay, I’ll just post it… HERE

Lastly, the writer provides three take-away points, each one heavy.

Over all, this is a good summary – a status quaestionis. From just that point of view it is useful. However, it also opens up serious questions about things that need reform.