UPDATE! ASK FATHER: Use of a Catholic church for the “ordination” of woman Episcopalian “bishop”

Posted on 17 January 2020 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

UPDATE 17 Jan 2020:

There is a development.   CNA reports:

Catholic parish will not host Episcopalian consecration

The Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia will no longer hold an episcopal consecration and ordination at a Catholic parish in Williamsburg, following an internet petition signed by over 3,000 people objecting to the event.

“It is with great sadness that I have received a letter from Bishop-Elect Susan Haynes stating that, due to the controversy of the proposed use of St. Bede Catholic Church for her consecration of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia, she has decided to find another location for the ceremony to take place,” said a statement from Bishop Barry Knestout of the Catholic Richmond diocese on Friday, Jan. 17. St. Bede Catholic Church is located within the diocese.

A statement from the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia said that the consecration will now take place at Williamsburg Community Chapel. The Williamsburg Community Chapel’s website states that it is home to an “interdenominational family of faith.”

[…]

That story says that they had had a “contract” to use the Catholic parish. Interesting.

In any event, it seems that this chapter is now closing.

___ Originally Published on: Jan 16, 2020

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

I am a parishioner at St. Bede the Venerable Catholic Church in Williamsburg, VA. I and many others are outraged at the fact that the Bishop of Richmond (Barry Knestout) has given permission for the consecration of a woman episcopal bishop to take place in our church.

Please see the attached link.

Is this allowed??? What if anything can we do about it? I’d like your thoughts please. Thank you

Story HERE

Bishop Knestout of Richmond issued a statement about this.  HERE

Church Militant has a piece about it.  HERE

The short answer is: Yes, this is allowed.

The longer answer involves whether or not it should be allowed.

There is a petition against the event which calls on the bishop to cancel it.  HERE  I suspect that even if a million people sign it, the local bishop won’t change his mind.

The 1993 Directory for the Application of the Principles and Norms on Ecumenism make provision for other Christian denominations to use our churches:

137. Catholic churches are consecrated or blessed buildings which have an important theological and liturgical significance for the Catholic community. They are therefore generally reserved for Catholic worship. However, if priests, ministers or communities not in full communion with the Catholic Church do not have a place or the liturgical objects necessary for celebrating worthily their religious ceremonies, the diocesan Bishop may allow them the use of a church or a Catholic building and also lend them what may be necessary for their services. Under similar circumstances, permission may be given to them for interment or for the celebration of services at Catholic cemeteries.”

Note that the diocesan bishop gets to make these decisions.  Pastors cannot make this decision on their own.  I understand from what I have read that this was arranged without the knowledge of the parishioners.

Let’s be clear: There is no such thing as a female bishop, properly understood, in any denomination.  It is ontologically impossible for a woman to be a real bishop.  Denominations can call a woman whom they appoint as leader a “bishop”, but calling doesn’t make it so.  The ministers of Christian denominations without valid apostolic succession are mere functionaries.  As a matter of fact, this is something that is explained well in the new book by Card. Sarah and Benedict XVI.  Moreover, the Church teaches that Anglican/Episcopalian orders are null and void.  They do not have properly consecrated bishops.  Hence they can’t consecrate anyone, much less a woman.   They can go through whatever ceremonies they want, but at the end, when every walks out they are still what they were when they walked in, ontologically speaking.

So, these Protestants want to have a ceremony to “ordain” for themselves a woman.  Whatever.  Because they want to do it in a church, instead of a hall or auditorium of some kind (as sometimes Catholics have to do because the churches are too small) the Bishop of Richmond is going to let them use a Catholic church.

What is going to happen in there is pretty much a nothing burger.  Also, it might or might not be the case that the church in question was consecrated – many are not consecrated, you know.  So, there is a disconnect between the nature of the building as a sacred place and the nature of the ceremony to be enacted.

However, the Bishop is within his right to let that building be used.  He can permit it, regardless of the sensibilities of Catholics who may be offended.

What recourse do offended Catholics have?  Not much.

In the aftermath, they will have to decide if they want to contribute to that parish and to the diocesan fundraisers, or have anything to do with their projects.  That’s up to them.

Choices have consequences.

Were I a diocesan bishop, I think I would gently deflect the original request to use the church for such an event.  On the other hand, were there to be a case of a true emergency, I might help them out.  Say they had a fire at their own cathedral the day before the event was scheduled.  Then I might help them out.   But this event isn’t an emergency.

I have a hard time getting really worked up about this.  This from a guy who is forever railing on and on about the sacrum.

We do other things in our churches than only sacred liturgical rites.   Talks can be given.  That’s not liturgy.  Concerts can be given.  That’s not liturgy.   If there were a horrible disaster, a church could be used to shelter and succor the wounded.  That’s not liturgy.  So, churches can be used for more than just liturgy.

Moreover, I have in my mind’s eye the fact that after the church of the Institute of Christ the King in Chicago burned down, the Presbyterians across the way welcomed Catholics regularly to use their gymnasium for their traditional Catholic Mass.  Consider the theological origins of Presbyterianism.  For Luther, Mass was ‘der größeste und schrecklichste Gräuel… he greatest and most shocking abomination” and a “Drachenschwanz… dragon’s tail”.  Calvin viciously attacked the Mass and transubstantiation as forged by the Devil.  He called it impious blasphemy and compared it to mumbling incantations and idol worship (like bowing down to Pachamama, perhaps).

The use of that Catholic church by these Episcopalians is clearly going to offend a lot of Catholics.  A diocesan bishop ought to see to his own before seeing to others, if you get my drift.  However, the use of that church by that group for this dopey (to us – important to them) ceremony is not going to violate the sacrality of the church.

Lemme back up: given the state of any Protestant group that would choose to “ordain” a woman, who knows what goofy liturgical things they will perpetrate, so they might violate the sacrality of the building.  I hope that the bishop knows what they are going to do in their ceremonies.  I don’t think they will be sacrificing chickens or doing something as bad as bowing down and worshiping wooden Pachamama idols or placing pagan worship bowls on the altar.  They will engage in a kind of idolatry by referring to what is still a piece of bread as “God”, but – hey – we know that Protestants do that.

In short, within the guidelines of ecumenism in force today, we don’t expect that what they will do will be so contrary to everything holy that the building will have to be reconsecrated.  So we hope.

If you want to see me get really irritated about something, the flip side of this thing in Richmond is far far more serious.

That is, some fake catholic group for wynym’s ordination going to a Protestant church for their sacrilegious acts of simulated ordination.

THAT is a serious problem and ecumenical insult of the highest degree.  That is a huge “eff you” finger to the whole Catholic Church.  That is a violation of our most sacred rites.    They mock and trample on the priesthood and the Eucharist, on our whole identity as Catholics.

When any Protestant group allows that sort of horror show in one of their churches, the local diocesan bishop should act swiftly to inform them of the consequences for relations between their groups.  As I have written in the past …

Upon hearing the news that this ceremony is going to take place (or has taken place), the local Catholic bishop must call the pastor of that Protestant parish and say,

“I’m the Catholic Bishop.  Do not allow this sacrilege to be committed in your church. You wouldn’t do this for a group of dissident Jews wanting to ordain rabbis, but we are Catholics so you don’t care what offense you give us.  Until an apology is issued, don’t look for us to dialogue with you again.”

Then that Catholic bishop should call the head of the denomination and convey the same message.

Then that Catholic Bishop should send an informative note to the USCCB’s ecumenical office and to the CDF and to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity to let them know the facts of the sacrileges that took place and who helped them.

Then that Catholic bishop should call the press and give them his view about the offense the Protestants gave and the damage they inflicted on ecumenical dialogue.

True ecumenism does not consist in lying down and letting some other church kick you and define what Mass is for you, or say who can be ordained, or stick their finger in your face by hosting these sacrilegious fakers.

That’s the sort of thing that get’s me worked up far more than letting a bunch of Protestants have their little thing in one of our churches.

That said, it seems to me that the diocesan bishop there, while entirely within his rights to allow the use of that church for this Protestant thing, would do well to provide good pastoral care to those who believe that our churches are sacred places, set apart for true sacred liturgical worship and things that are consistent with our Catholic Faith.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Our Catholic Identity | Tagged ,
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ASK FATHER: I discovered that the hosts used are from flour of a variety of grains. What to do?

Posted on 17 January 2020 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

ASK FATHER: I discovered that the hosts used are from flour of a variety of grains. What to do?From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

I recently discovered that the priests at a chapel I had been attending have been using bread made of flour from a variety of grains, so it’s clearly invalid. The chapel is run by religious order priests. (You can probably guess the order.)

I think I need to report this, but I don’t really know how to do that.

Do I write a letter? To the bishop himself or to a particular office?

To the superior of the religious order? What do I say in the letter?

Should I include a litany of all the liturgical abuses I observed, or keep it to the more serious ones? What should I expect after the letter is received? etc.

If you’re willing, I’m also interested in the broader question: What is my duty as a lay person in such circumstances? I honestly don’t expect that anything will change, but I owe my due diligence. What is my due diligence?

This is serious issue.

If the bread used for the Mass was invalid substance, because it was not from wheat flour, then Masses using that bread weren’t Mases at all.  Furthermore, that means that the Precious Blood was consecrated outside of Mass.

Moreover, that means that all those stipends and Mass intentions were not, in justice, fulfilled!   How many Masses?!?

If you have some sort of proof that the hosts were not of wheat bread make your concern immediately known in a BRIEF letter – including the evidence – posted to the local person in charge, with a copy to the local bishop and to the Apostolic Nuncio in Washington DC and/or the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.   There are stipend/intentions issues involved that they must solve.

If you have strong suspicion of the same, then write the letter to the local person in charge, with a copy to the local bishop, asking for clarification about the hosts.

What are your responsibilities in this matter?

I refer you to the important CDW document Redemptionis Sacramentum.

6. Complaints Regarding Abuses in Liturgical Matters

[183.] In an altogether particular manner, let everyone do all that is in their power to ensure that the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist will be protected from any and every irreverence or distortion and that all abuses be thoroughly corrected. This is a most serious duty incumbent upon each and every one, and all are bound to carry it out without any favouritism.

[184.] Any Catholic, whether Priest or Deacon or lay member of Christ’s faithful, has the right to lodge a complaint regarding a liturgical abuse to the diocesan Bishop or the competent Ordinary equivalent to him in law, or to the Apostolic See on account of the primacy of the Roman Pontiff.  It is fitting, however, insofar as possible, that the report or complaint be submitted first to the diocesan Bishop. This is naturally to be done in truth and charity.

You have the right and duty to make your concerns known in this important matter.  You always have the right to immediate recourse to the Holy See.  However, you can, and should, inform the local bishop.

Try to get things solved at the lowest level possible and work your way up.

Keep all your communications brief and respectful, on one side of sheet of paper if possible.  Include proofs, evidence, not guesses.   In the case that something is not 100% sure, ask for clarifications.

Read this about writing to ecclesial authorities.

Tips for writing to the Vatican, bishops and priests

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000 | Tagged , ,
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“Let the Jesuits come to me. With hands in the air and without algorithms.” Fr. Z says: Let the Jesuits GO TO CHINA.

Posted on 17 January 2020 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

"Let the Jesuits come to me. With hands in the air and without algorithms." Fr. Z says: Let the Jesuits GO TO CHINA.When I was a little kid I used to look forward to morning cartoons. Even as an adult I always turned to find The Far Side before the box scores.

Now we must content ourselves with jokers like this.

In La Verità we find a piece by Gustavo Bialetti in his column Caffé Corretto (excellent name) about – I am not making this up – the evangelization of robots and artificial intelligence. Avvenire (the official organ of the Italian Bishops Conference) ran some stuff from Antonio “2+2-5” Spadaro, SJ.

2+2 is quoted saying, “We can read the challenge of what we can define as ‘evangelization of AI’ as being like one of a combination of the recommendation of Pope Francis to protect the world of the periphery [i.e., the poor in a world dominated by AI] and the experience of the Jesuits of the 16th century.”

Crickets.

Self-referential, much?

I just had a flash of an ordained T800 Terminator morphing the colors of vestments form violet to white for upcoming Candlemas.

Bialetti concludes:

Said with the greatest respect, citing the role of the Jesuits in the 16th century creates a little bit of anxiety. Today, probably, Jesus would say, “Let the Jesuits come to me. With hands in the air and without algorithms.”

"Let the Jesuits come to me. With hands in the air and without algorithms." Fr. Z says: Let the Jesuits GO TO CHINA.

Here’s something for Jesuits. 

There is a REAL periphery out there and it’s called: CHINA.

Since the Holy See seems to have left Chinese Catholics to be devoured, things have been going very badly.

At Asia News, I read this.

Mindong’s Msgr. Guo evicted from the curia: he will sleep on the street. Several priests and elderly also made homeless (Video)

At least five parishes have been closed, with electricity and water supplies cut off. These include Fuan, Saiqi and Suanfeng. “Fire safety” measures given as a justification, an excuse for persecution. Some priests have been kicked out. A home for the elderly kept by the nuns is also closed. Of the thirty guests, some are hosted by relatives, others are homeless. Official bishop Zhan Silu bypassed by the United Front. Some priests speak of Holy See’s having “too lightly” signed to the agreement.

Rome (AsiaNews) – Msgr. Vincenzo Guo Xijin, former ordinary bishop of Mindong (Fujian) is now homeless and sleeping on the doorstep of his curia and clergy house in Luojiang, following the arrival yesterday of an eviction order for him and for the priests who work and live with him.

To speed up his eviction, all electricity and water supplies were cut from the building yesterday (see photo 1). Officially, the eviction is dictated for security reasons. A sign placed in front of the curia explains that the building – built with all permits over 10 years ago – does not respect the fire regulations and must therefore be closed. In reality, the police operation is a sign of official annoyance and an attempt to pressure the bishop and his priests who refuse to sign up to an “independent” Church.

Msgr. Guo Xijin is one of the “victims” of the Sino-Vatican agreement, which has transformed the diocese of Mindong into a kind of “pilot project” for the implementation of the accord. [What does the accord really say?]

Following the agreement and the lifting of the excommunication from the official bishop Vincenzo Zhan Silu, at the request of Pope Francis, Msgr. Guo agreed to be demoted to auxiliary bishop to leave the ordinary seat to Msgr. Zhan.

However, Msgr. Guo, never signed up for membership in the independent Church and thus has not been recognized by the government with the result that he has now been downgraded to the status of homeless and migrant.

The exact same fate has befallen many priests who refuse to sign up. In recent days at least five parishes have also been closed for reasons of “fire safety standards”. These would include two large parishes: Fuan, with over 10 thousand faithful and Saiqi, with approximately 3 thousand faithful (photo 2).

Fuan parish priest, Fr. Liu Guangpin, 71, is among those who rebuilt the life of the Church after the Maoist persecutions. Now he has been evicted and has no place to celebrate, but remains in Fuan. Instead, Saiqi parish priest, Fr. Huang Jintong, 50, was kicked out and sent away from the city.

[…]

There is a lot more to that piece.  May I suggest that you read the whole thing and pray pray pray for your Chinese brothers and sisters, and perhaps fast for them?

Today is a Friday.  It’s penance day.  I will give up a meal.

Frankly, I am convinced that JESUITS were in part behind the China-Holy See agreement.

It’s hard to say, since not even Chinese Card. Zen can get clarity about what that document really says.

So 2+2 is interested in the peripheries.   Great.  Go to China.

I recall that in the Screwtape Letters (US HERE – UK HERE) the senior demon tells the junior tempter to get the “patient” interested in vague notions about concern for the needy (rather like modern democrats) rather than doing something concrete for the needy in front of him here and now.

So, let’s talk more about the evangelization of robots and AI!

 

Posted in Jesuits, Lighter fare, Modern Martyrs, The Coming Storm, The future and our choices, What are they REALLY saying? | Tagged , ,
4 Comments

CQ CQ CQ: Ham Radio Thursday – ZedNet reminder and a throat tightener

Posted on 16 January 2020 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

CQ CQ CQ: Ham Radio Thursday - ZedNet reminder and a throat tightenerAs you recall, ZedNet is operational.  More HERE.  We should figure out some schedules.

In a rather lackadaisical way I’ve put my toes into the waters of Morse Code.  I find it fascinating and would like to do CW, maybe QRP, but I just haven’t put in the effort.

There are also quite a few codes or abbreviations that ham radio operators use to tighten up their contacts.  An example would be QRZ, meaning, “Who is calling?” or QTH “What is your location?” or “My location is…”   QRP means that you are operating at low power, such as 5 watts.

In addition, there are some other conventions in use.   For example, from old telegraph wire signals, hams use 73 at the end for “Best regards” used at the end of contacts and, used judiciously, 88 for “love and kisses”.  Also, “es” is a way of writing & (ampersand).

I learned of a story that moved me to work a little harder.  It is an application of Morse Code and Q codes that I hadn’t considered.

Once upon a time, a member of a radio club was in his final hours in a nursing home.  He couldn’t talk anymore, but he and his wife communicated using Morse Code.

The dying man made his last “contact” with his wife who was holding his hand as he died.  His last transmission, made by squeezing his wife’s hand was…

– -… …- –   . …   – – -.. – – -..

73 es 88

UPDATE:

I just now thought of another situation in which Morse Code was useful.  Fathers, remember this.

Do you remember the story of Jeremiah Denton? He was Navy pilot and POW at the “Hanoi Hilton” during the Vietnam War. At one point his savage captors put him on TV and interviewed him as propaganda. During that presser, he blinked in Morse Code T-O-R-T-U-R-E.

Play video

Who knows what the future holds for priests and bishops. It could be that a future regime will round us up and parade us in front of the public. We might even be – who knows? – sequestered in a garden monastery with handlers who closely restrict access to us. If that ever happens to me, watch my eyes or hands.

Posted in Ham Radio | Tagged ,
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Some stuff from my mail

Posted on 16 January 2020 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

These came to my mail. A little levity in a serious matter.

Some stuff from my mail

And, in language the left can understand…

Some stuff from my mail

Twitter provides more grist.

This from Beans..

Dear Beans, this isn’t hard.

How much damage?  Ridiculous question.

As far as “what happened to the ‘ontological’ change in priests who wound up being criminal pervs… nothing happened to it.  It’s a indelible change, a change in the soul of the man who received orders.  The criminal perv priest remains forever a priest.  He will be so in this life and in the next, whether in Heaven or in Hell.  For the priests out there who are reading this: consider the addition pains of Hell for a priest.

All Christians have an ontological change to their souls at baptism and, again, at confirmation.  These sacraments impart a character to a soul that is indelible, permanent, lasting even beyond death.  They cannot be repeated.  Priesthood does the same thing to the soul of the man who receives it.  Priesthood cannot be lost.  However, the Church can forbid a man from exercising his ordained priesthood.

In any event, this guy had a good response had a good response to Bean’s interminable agitprop.

Now for some journalistic brilliance from ultra-liberal David Gibson.

First, that’s just nasty.

Second, Sarah did nothing of the sort.  Sarah cannot and did not try to “invalidate” the ordinations of married Catholic priests.   To return to the ontological, indelible point, above, once a man is ordained, he is forever a priest.  For-eh-vur.

By the way, people who are married also have an ontological bond with each other.  That bond ends with the death of one of the spouses.   The bond is not merely juridical or moral/ethical.  This is a reason why a man can’t marry a man and a man or woman cannot be married to more than one person at a time.

Meanwhile, it seems that – incredibly – Francis had another chat with inveterate Communist and anti-Catholic publisher of La Repubblica Eugenio Scalfari.

Some stuff from my mail

It’s mostly blah blah.   At the beginning, however, Scalfari, who famously says he doesn’t take notes or recordings, who says that Francis says rather fantastic things, gives his own version of the events surrounding BOOKGATE.  Scalfari says that Francis has just brushed this off as no big deal.  He does, however, paint Sarah in a bad light.  Yawn.

Also, in La Verità there is a message from Archbp. Viganò: Padre George ha isolato il Pontefice emerito.

Viganò says that Gänswein throttled the information given to Benedict.  Of course that’s what executive secretaries do.  He recounts that Card. Harvey, former head of the Apostolic Household, told him that Benedict once pointed at Gänswein and called him “Gestapo”.   It’s all a bit strange.

Some stuff from my mail

Posted in Priests and Priesthood, The Drill |
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My View For Awhile: north

Posted on 15 January 2020 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I’m heading home after a maternal visit.

Alas I am reading the spittle flecked raving of a hysterical and, apparently psychic, Austen Ivereigh at Commonweal.

My View For Awhile: north

My View For Awhile: north

My View For Awhile: north

“None of this will bother Francis”! As if he has a clue about what bothers him or what he thinks.

He is doing his best to savage Card Sarah. To cover his own crazy leaps to conclusion before he ever read the book?

I have a long layover in ATL. Sigh. I’ll probably read more.

UPDATE:

As it turned out, in the lounge between flights I read a little more of this dreadful and undignified piece and did some selective quotes and red ink.

It’s truly nasty.

I suspect the reaction of the papalotrous is partly due to their opposition not only to celibacy for priests but their opposition to any sort of sexual control. I can’t shake the suspicion that they think that if priestly celibacy isn’t take down, then it will be much harder to force a change to the CCC on homosexuality. They have to break it the nuptial connection of priest and Church in order to weaken the ends of marriage between one man and one woman. Communion for unrepentant adulterers was a step in the right direction when it comes to the nuptial character of Christ and the Church and the Eucharist. Now they have to bust the priesthood down too.

Does that sound right?

That, as I wait to take off.

My View For Awhile: north

Posted in SESSIUNCULA |
12 Comments

More about #BOOKGATE and a Litany Against Modernists

Posted on 15 January 2020 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

More on BOOKGATE below.

But first, I thought some of you would enjoy this new litany (for private use) in Italian.

LITANIE ANTIMODERNISTE

O glorioso S.Ignazio
  fa finire questo strazio
S. Giovanna d’Arco
  al modernista chiudi il varco
S. Caterina d’Alessandria
  dei modernisti caccia la mandria
San Benedetto abate
  i modernisti eliminate
Sant’Antonio eremita
  caccia il clero sodomita
Santa Caterina Labouré
  liberaci dalle sinistre suore coccodè
San Giovanni Battista
  converti il clero comunista
Santa Edwige di Polonia
  brucia gl’idoli dell’Amazzonia
O glorioso San Lorenzo
  convertite Bianchi Enzo
O glorioso San Venerio
  liberaci da chi concede l’adulterio
Sante monache anacorete ed eremite
  Liberateci da chi vuol cancellar l’Humanae vitae
San Fortunato di Camogli
  fa’ che ai preti non dian mogli
Dal cielo santi tutti ci aiutate
  i modernisti debellate

per omnia saecula saeculorum
AMEN!

Since most of the people this is directed against have Italian, … THERE!

Meanwhile, in other Italian news, Il Messaggero says that the vineyard that Benedict XVI wanted at Castel Gandolfo was ripped up.

Back in the Roman day, they used to chisel names out of inscriptions.  It was called damnatio memoriae.

Book cover… vineyard… coincidence, for sure.

More about #BOOKGATE and a Litany Against Modernists

Too bad.  Castel Gandolfo has some other farming elements, including a little dairy.  When we would go out to the gardens in our Latin group with Fr Foster, we used to sing songs in Latin to the cows.  And their are apiaries!  The milk and honey were sold in the Vatican commissary.

I wonder if John Paul’s pool is still there.  After all, they are trying to get rid of everything else that remind us of him, like his… you know… magisterium.

Meanwhile, Il Messaggero gives prime real estate to BOOKGATE.

“The anti-Bergoglio trap”…. NOT.

 

More about #BOOKGATE and a Litany Against Modernists

“Sarah, the conservative frontrunner on whom traditionalists pin their hopes to get ready for after Francis”

Posted in Liberals, Lighter fare, Priests and Priesthood, The Drill | Tagged , , , , ,
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UPDATE – HILARITY ENSUES- Lib reactions to the new book from Card. Sarah and Benedict XVI

Posted on 15 January 2020 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

UPDATE 15 Jan 2020:

Antonio Socci (not a fan of Francis) says in Facebook (I’m not a fan of Facebook) that Francis summoned Archbp. Gänswein, read him a riot act, and demanded that Benedict’s name be removed from the book. Hence, Benedict asked for his name to be diminished in the book project so as to shield Gänswein from retribution.

Meanwhile, the lib reaction continues.

Two lesser luminaries in reporting on the Church, one for RNS and one for Reuters, opine (rather than, you know, report new) about the SALES of the book.  It’s an interesting window.

The book is selling well in French. I hope I have had something to do with that. HERE‘s a link!

Note Gibson’s use of Latin caveat emptor juxtaposed to a comment about high sales. There’s a movie with a phrase like, “I don’t think that means what you think it means.”

And note, “conservative groups” are out their buying up copies to inflate numbers of Card. Sarah’s books.  Oh, really?  Which conservative groups are those?   And has no lib group ever done that?   Nice try.

Note how Pullela says, “I’ts boring.”  I can see how it might be boring for you, Phil.  Moreover, you might not be the book’s target audience.  And if it is really that boring, inconsequential, then why has your end of the media spectrum gone bananas at the very thought of it?

 

UPDATE 14 Jan 2020:

This is how the enemy rolls.

  • Make a nasty insinuation or ridiculous proposal.
  • Let the poison you create bubble for a while.
  • Start walking back what you originally said.
  • Meanwhile, you’ve managed to gain a little ground for your side.
  • You’ve either caused corrosion in some good thing that your enemy did or you have bumped the needle a little bit in the direction you want it to go.

For example, the case of those who want to prosecute priests who won’t violate the Seal of Confession.  This comes up again and again and again.  Each time it is shot down.  However, each time a little more ground is gained, a few more people are convinced that a law should be passed that requires priests to violate the Seal.  Eventually, they get their way.  It’s called creeping incrementalism.

There was, if memory serves, a scene in Martin’s Windswept House wherein the arch stand-in figure for (I think) Card. Bernardin instructed the patsy stand-in figure for Bp. Lucker of New Ulm to make an outrageous statement and then, after some days, claim in the presss that he was misunderstood, or that he misspoke.   The Lucker character was to, in effect, take one for the team but in the meantime they would have changed the topic and gained ground.

That’s how they roll.

Now comes this tweet by Austen Ivereigh, one of the most obvious of the cringing papalotrous out there.

First, we roll back the clock.

A snarky comment to denigrate Benedict.

Then an accusation a few hours later.

And…

Is there a secretive group behind Card. Sarah and Benedict pulling the strings?

Turn to your allies. NB: La Croix is, in effect, Bobby Mickens, who had once lost a job with The Tablet for publicly wishing in social media that Benedict would die. He despises Ratzinger/Benedict.

Then he claims a victory lap while taking a shot at Archbp. Gaeswein as Benedict’s “handler”. See? We were right in saying that Benedict didn’t have anything to do with authoring the book because Benedict didn’t see or approve the books cover!

Then Card. Sarah released letters and the dance step mutates.

Releasing his inner Hillary…

Yes, it’s a vast, right wing conspiracy.

In short… take in the “no one doubts” bit.

 

Consider what is going on.

The discussion isn’t about anything substantive. It’s now about process.

All resulting in …

And…

The left will now claim victory.

Meanwhile, I suspect that their whining will only result in higher book sales.

May I suggest to you readers that you pre-order multiple copies to give as gifts to priests and seminarians?

UPDATE:

Okay… maybe the attacks are right that Benedict didn’t write his section. Maybe Greta Thunberg’s dad wrote the section by Benedict!

UPDATE:

Gerard O’Connell and Jesuit run Amerika attack Card. Sarah and the new book claiming that Benedict didn’t really write the section written by Benedict.

Now Card. Sarah responds via Twitter.

Translation:

Attacks seem to insinuate a lie on my part. These slanders are of exceptional gravity. This evening I give the first proofs of my close collaboration with Benedict XVI in writing this text in favor of celibacy. I will speak tomorrow if necessary. RS +

Who wants to hold their breath until the Jesuits apologize for lying about Card. Sarah and Benedict?

And then there’s this guy…

And Beans is giddy.

UPDATE:

How badly does the left want to kill this book?

And

____ Originally Published on: Jan 13, 2020

As you probably know by now, Robert Card. Sarah and Pope Benedict XVI have collaborated on a new book. They respond to certain aspects of The Present Crisis.™   It is their right to do so.

From the Depths of our Hearts

US Pre-Order Soon HERE for 12 March 2020 release! – FRENCH HERE

UPDATE - HILARITY ENSUES- Lib reactions to the new book from Card. Sarah and Benedict XVI

“But Father!  But Father!”, you pewling libtards are moaning, “Benedict isn’t a Cardinal!  He’s a Pope Emeritus!  He doesn’t have any rights, because… because …. YOU HATE VATICAN II!”

Yes, the libtards want Benedict to be quiet.  But consider that these same libtards didn’t want him to be Emeritus Pope, either.  They wanted him to become just another Cardinal again.  In which case, he would have a right to make his concerns known… so long as he agreed with them!

They want Benedict to be quite because, like Bobby Mickens, they hate him.

In any event, they want Benedict not even to be seen, much less heard, because with every word he publishes, their mask is pulled a little lower.

A good example of the panic incited by Benedict is Beans (aka Massimo Faggioli), the relentless self-promoter of Villanova.  Here are a couple beany tweets.   (I’m blocked by him… HA!)

In other words, “Shut up!”

And… in full panic mode…

Yes, one wonders.  One also wonders if Beans thinks that euthanasia might be a good solution for emeriti.  THAT would shut them up!   After all, old men with experiences don’t have a right to express an opinion about anything.

The best response to Beans yet. As a matter of fact, useful every day of the year. This guy to Beans:

Sapienti pauca

Homosexualist activist James Martin, LGBTSJ, is taking time out from defending sodomitical practices to sow some jesuitical doubt wherever he can.

See what he is doing? Rather than deal with what may be the substance (which he suspects doesn’t support his agenda given the sources) he is sowing doubt.

([The serpent] said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree of the garden’?”)

“Did Benedict XVI really write the part allegedly attributed to him?”

In any event, I am now reading the new book in French.

More later.

UPDATE:

Ultra-liberal Robert Mickens, who lost a job with The Tablet for wishing on social media that Benedict would die, exchanged tweets with Daniel P Horan OFM of CTU (aka The Horan of Babylon)…

Birds of a feather.

Inter alia, since most people are saying that the book deals with celibacy, viri probati, etc., Mickens also tweeted that in 1970 Ratzinger once supported the relaxation of priestly celibacy.  To which the sane person responds: So what?   Ratzinger grew up, came to his senses, recognized that he was wrong, and changed his mind.  Errare humanum est, perseverare diabolicum.

As for the Horan of Babylon, you can get a sense of the astonishing quality of education offered to students at CTU from these two tweets.   I am not making this up.

That’s right.  You read it correctly.  The Latin Church’s discipline of priestly celibacy is on par with not eating corned beef on St. Patrick’s Day if it falls on a Friday of Lent.  Conclusion: a bishop can dispense his subjects from abstinence on St Patrick’s Day with the snap of his fingers.  Right?   Then the Bishop of Rome can dispense priests from celibacy with the snap of his fingers, right?  After all, they are merely matters of discipline.

What a brain trust CTU must be!

BTW… some snaps of fingers are worse than others, to use this “marvelous” example from a cartoon (for the CTU grads out there).

UPDATE - HILARITY ENSUES- Lib reactions to the new book from Card. Sarah and Benedict XVI

Click

Posted in "But Father! But Father!", Benedict XVI, Priests and Priesthood, SESSIUNCULA, Synod | Tagged , ,
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To save the world, we have to save the liturgy. Wherein Fr. Z rants.

Posted on 15 January 2020 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

To save the world, we have to save the liturgy. Wherein Fr. Z rants.My mantra in these electronic pages for years was and is and will be “Save The Liturgy, Save The World“.

Sounds odd at first?

Consider that of all the relationships we have, that which we have with God is and must be the most important, put before all others.  If that relationship is disordered, all others will be too.

We have to give to other persons what is their due by the virtue of justice.  But the Triune God is qualitatively a different person, so we have a different virtue that governs what is due to God: religion.

We fulfill the virtue of religion especially in our sacred liturgical worship, as individuals and as groups, small and large.  So, the sacred liturgical worship of the Church orders everything we do, gives it sense and purpose.  Hence, every gesture and word of sacred liturgical worship is significant and has effects on us and everything we do as Catholics.  And the more sacred the rite, the greater impact.

Eucharist is to be understood not only as the Eucharistic species, Body, Blood Soul and Divinity of Christ.  Eucharist is that, but it is also Its celebration: Holy Mass.  The Eucharist (Host and Mass) is the “source and summit’ of the life of the Church.  If our treatment of the Eucharist (Host and Mass) is disordered, everything else we do will be disordered.

Just as the Fall of our First Parents produced devastating “ripples” through material creation, so that we are out of order with it and it with us on many levels, so to do liturgical abuses or even poorly intentioned sacred liturgical worship produce “ripples” in the cosmos.

Celebrate the liturgy well, good results.  Celebrate poorly, bad results.

In my “Save The Liturgy, Save The World” manifesto in 2007, I wrote:

If we really believe that, then we must also hold that what we do in church, what we believe happens in a church, makes an enormous difference.

Do we believe the consecration really does something? Or, do we believe what is said and how, what the gestures are and the attitude in which they made are entirely indifferent? For example, will a choice not to kneel before Christ the King and Judge truly present in each sacred Host, produce a wider effect?

If you throw a stone, even a pebble, into a pool it produces ripples which expand to its edge. The way we celebrate Mass must create spiritual ripples in the Church and the world.

So does our good or bad reception of Holy Communion.

So must violations of rubrics and irreverence.

I stand by that.

Now a young priest has taken up the theme, or so I read at LifeSite.

Fr. Mark Goring has called for a return to Communion on the tongue while kneeling.  Why?  To avert apocalyptic disaster, due to irreverence.

“Is receiving the Eucharist on our knees going to fix all the world’s problems? I think it will,” he said.

This is timely, in light of the new book by Card. Sarah and Benedict XVI, who are both champions of a return to the better and more reverent and entirely reasonable practice of reception of Communion directly on the tongue while kneeling.

Fr. Goring says what I have been shouting for over a decade.  He says it in his own way, but it is, effectively, the same thing.

We deserve – collectively – sharp correction from God due to our collective laxity when it comes to our sacred liturgical worship.  We have not been fulfilling the virtue of religion, giving God what is His due.  Chastisement would be deserved.  We can avert some of that, or lessen it, by revitalizing our worship and by acts of reparation: in other words by getting serious.

Please allow me to rant.

I’ve been talking to people who are just plain tired of “yet another book” which effectively says what we expect the writers might say in the first place.  Yes, the books are good because the chronicle The Present Crisis for future generations, and they really do contain great spiritual material.  Yes, the books are good.

But do books constitute action?  Does reading a book constitute action?

They might help, but they are not themselves enough.

What is needed is concrete action in the lives of more Catholics.

We need priests to start priesting as if their souls depended on it.  And that pep speech has the added benefit of being exactly true: their souls do depend on it.

We need lay people to start demanding priests to priest, as if their souls depended on it.  Again, true.

I have a quote on the sidebar from Fulton Sheen:

“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.”

Sound about right?

Here are some ideas.

  • Fathers, begin a process of liturgical catechesis and start your parishes on a return to Communion on the tongue while kneeling
  • Ditto, a return to ad orientem worship.  Remember, Klaus Gamber, who influenced Ratzinger deeply, said that versus populum worship was the single most damaging thing done in the name of Vatican II.  There are priests who have successfully done this in their parishes: seem them out and get their advice.
  • Fathers, learn the Traditional Roman Rite.  I know that Latin is intimidating.  But what part of priesthood did they promise you was going to be easy?  Anything that produces big benefits requires work.  It can be done.  If priests in the past did it, you can do it.
  • Lay people: start forming “base communities of Faith”.  This might take the form of Saturday morning coffee groups where you read the Sunday readings and study the Catechism… a catechism at least.   Then, if you hear something weird from the pulpit, show up, as a group, in front of the priest, with your catechisms and sources and pin him down.  “What was that, Father?”
  • Lay people: Prompt, cajole, urge, beg, persuade your priests to move to ad orientem worship and Communion on the tongue.  Tell them you will help in any way to make it happen, even paying for all the carpentry, etc.
  • Lay people:  Prompt, cajole, urge, beg, persuade your priests to learn the TLM.  Promise and execute when it comes to buying things, provided help and time at the church to set up, take down, everything.  Give 110% support.
  • Fathers and lay people: GO TO CONFESSION.

Get clean for this battle.

A special note to SEMINARIANS:

Men, be careful.  You are young and zealous and these are hard times.  Many of us older guys went through the bad times before.  There were some years of relative calm.  Now tough times are returning in many places… not everywhere, but in many places.   You might be disoriented having grown up in the time of John Paul II, Benedict XVI and relative sanity.

Keep your heads down.

I recall our old Rules for Seminary Survival in the 1980s. Where you are they may pertain once again:

Rarely affirm.
Never deny.
Seldom make distinctions.
Smile a lot.
Say very little.
Never wear black.

In my day, you could be called in for wearing black socks!   These days that last one might be something else… like… back out of the room?

In the 80’s, it was as if we were officers-in-training, but in the military academy of the enemy.

I don’t want you to look for problems where there aren’t any.  Also, there are so many more good bishops now who really care about their seminarians.  That wasn’t the case back in the day, believe me.  So, if this are good and calm and peaceful and solid and faithful and clean, then… FORWARD!   But still be careful.

This is what you must do if your profs and the staff are modernists: don’t fight them.  It isn’t your job in the seminary to teach or to correct or to defend.  Smile. Learn what these modernist oppressors have to teach, parrot it back to them, and read good books on your own, with a flashlight and shades drawn if necessary.

And if you have to give up the internet, then for the love of God and His Holy Church give it up.

Get ordained.

Your day will come.

Concretely:

  • Keep your mouths shut.
  • Assume that your use of the internet is being monitored.  Avoid using the seminary’s internet to look at anything other than neutral or liberal sites.
  • Cough up the dough to get a separate plan for data for your laptops and phones.  Use VPNs.
  • If several of you must pool resources to do that, do that, and then – discreetly – do the samizdat thing.
  • Use your personal handhelds or phones for surfing good Catholic sites but avoid seminary WiFi.
  • If you can’t find a way around their logging, or you can’t afford the data in your country, then either give up traditional sites when surfing or give up the internet completely!

Go silent and go deep.

And if you get a biretta through the BIRETTAS FOR SEMINARIANS Project, and you are in an iffy situation, keep the biretta at home.  Don’t have it at the seminary.  Your day will come.

Posted in GO TO CONFESSION, Hard-Identity Catholicism, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Mail from priests, The Coming Storm, The future and our choices, Wherein Fr. Z Rants | Tagged , ,
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Summary of FACTS about the controversial new book by BOTH Card. Sarah and Benedict XVI

Posted on 15 January 2020 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Summary of FACTS about the controversial new book by BOTH Card. Sarah and Benedict XVIEdward Pentin has posted at the National Catholic Register a summary of the FACTS surrounding the controversial new book from Card. Sarah and Pope Benedict XVI.

HERE

As you know, as soon as the book was announced the attacks began to pour in from the liberal left.  Insinuations were made that Benedict was being used, that Sarah lied, that Benedict is too weak to write anything, that they were attacking Francis, etc. etc.

As it turns out none of those things were true.  Of course.  Nevertheless, damage was done.  That’s how the left, especially the more papalotrous of “Team Francis”, roll.  Unhindered by the speed bumps called FACTS they careened forward in a mad race to smash this book – and the authors – before it could get traction due to its substance.  They astutely engineered a process story to undercut what they suspected would be the actual substance of the text between the book’s covers.

Do read Pentin’s piece and ponder the ramifications.   It’s pretty clear that the claims made by the attackers were false.  More than one person has been thrown under the bus.  Who did the throwing and why?

Meanwhile, if you haven’t already, order a few copies.   First, huge sales a great way to irritate the loony left.  Second, irritate them even more by making sure I get credit for the sales.  Third,  – and this is the overarching reason – there is gold for priests in the pages.

I’ve now read it.

As you read it you can sense that it truly is…

From The Depths Of Our Hearts

US Pre-Order Soon HERE for 12 March 2020 release! – FRENCH HERE

Here is another taste, taken from the section by Card. Sarah.

Context: Card. Sarah includes in his own offering some personal anecdotes, what it was like to be a young priest in Africa, visiting villages where priests hadn’t been able to visit for year, how the people received him.  He relates the conversion of his father and grandmother and what the impact on the people was the presence of the celibate priest.  He remarks about the entirely different impact the priest would have made had he been married and then laments even the desire to take away the profound experience of the people in meeting “another Christ” who is entirely handed over.   It is poignant text.  Then, in my fast translation from French…

The priesthood is a gift that one receives as the Incarnation of the Word is received. It is neither a right nor an obligation. A community that would be formed in the ideal of a “right to the Eucharist” would no longer be a disciple of Christ. As its name indicates, the Eucharist is an act of thanksgiving [Fr action de grâce], a gratuitous gift, a merciful present. One receives the Eucharistic presence with wonder and joy as an unmerited gift. The believer who claims it as due to him demonstrates that he is not capable of understanding it.

I am convinced that the Christian communities of the Amazon do not themselves go along with the reasoning of demanding the Eucharist. Instead, I believe that these topics are the obsessions whose source is found in the milieus of university theology departments. We are dealing with ideologies developed by a few theologians who, like the sorcerer’s apprentice, wish to utilize the distress of poor peoples as an experimental laboratory for their clever plans. I cannot allow myself to let them act freely in silence. I want to take up defense of the poor, the lowly, of these people who are “without a voice”. Let us not deprive them of the fullness of the priesthood. Let us not deprive them of the true meaning of the Eucharist. We cannot “trifle/tamper with [Fr trafiquer] the Catholic doctrine of the priesthood and celibacy the light of perceived or supposed needs of certain extreme pastoral situations”, as Marc Cardinal Ouellet recently remarked.

I don’t have an English copy of what Card Ouellet said, so I did my best with that difficult word “trafiquer”.

However, I think you can see that Card. Sarah is not holding back.

Posted in Cri de Coeur, Priests and Priesthood, Synod, The Coming Storm, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged , ,
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