SSPX Superior Fr. Pagliarani interview: “we have to have souls ready for all sorts of sacrifices”

Posted on 12 October 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

The new Superior of the SSPX, Italian Fr. Davide Pagliarani, has given a hard-hitting interview.   Originally in Nouvelles de Chrétienté, it is in English HERE

Samples:

The Society holds a treasure in its hands. […] Our fondest wish is that the official Church will stop considering Tradition as a burden or a set of outmoded old things, but rather as the only possible way to regenerate herself. However, major doctrinal discussions will not be enough to bring this work to completion: first we have to have souls ready for all sorts of sacrifices. This is true both for consecrated persons and for the lay faithful.

And…

What are the important topics today? Vocations, the sanctification of priests, the care of souls. […]  Now the Society has all the necessary means to lead the movement of the return to Tradition. More precisely, we have to confront two demands:

– on the one hand, to preserve our identity by recalling the truth and denouncing error: “Praedica verbum: insta opportune, importune: argue, obsecra, increpa.” “Preach the word: be instant [persistent] in season, out of season: reprove, entreat, rebuke” (2 Tim 4:2);

– on the other hand: “in omni patientia, et doctrina,” “in all patience and doctrine” (ibid.): attract to Tradition those who are walking in that direction, encourage them, introduce them little by little to the battle and to an increasingly courageous attitude. There still are authentically Catholic souls who thirst for the truth, and we have no right to refuse them the cup of cold water that is the Gospel by an indifferent or haughty attitude. These souls often end up encouraging us by their own courage and determination.

AMEN.  This is what so many of you do for me every day.

And…

The less connected we are to the Internet, the more we will rediscover peace of mind and serenity of judgment. The fewer screens we have, the better we will be able to make an objective evaluation of the real facts and of their exact import.

And…

Now the problem is right here, always at the same place, and we cannot shift it to somewhere else: what is the dogmatic authority of a Council that intended to be pastoral? What is the value of these new principles taught by the Council, which have been applied systematically, consistently and in perfect continuity with what had been taught by the hierarchy that was responsible both for the Council and for the post-conciliar period? This real Council is the Council of religious liberty, or collegiality, of ecumenism, of the “living tradition”…, and unfortunately it is not the result of a wrong interpretation. The proof of this is that this real Council has never been rectified or corrected by the competent authority. It conveys a spirit, a teaching, a way of thinking about the Church which are an obstacle to the sanctification of souls, and its tragic results are right before the eyes of all intellectually honest men, of all people of good will. This real Council corresponds at the same time to a doctrinal teaching and a lived-out practice that have been imposed on the “People of God”; we refuse to accept this as just another council like the others. This is why we discuss its authority, but always in a spirit of charity, for we want nothing but the good of the Church and the salvation of souls. Our discussion is not a mere theological joust and, in fact, it has bearing on subjects that are not “debatable”: the life of the Church is at stake here, indubitably. And that is what God will judge us on.

This, then, is the perspective in which we stick to the official documents from Rome, with respect but also with realism; it is not about being on the right or the left, hard-line or lax: it is simply about being realistic.

And…

At Mass, the faithful discover the echo of the ephpheta, “be opened”, pronounced by the priest at Baptism. [Optional in the Novus Ordo.] Their soul is opened once more to the grace of the Holy Sacrifice. Even when they are very little, children who attend Mass are sensitive to the sacred meaning that the Traditional liturgy expresses. Above all, attending Mass makes fruitful the life of married couples, with all its trials, and gives it a profoundly supernatural meaning, for the graces of the Sacrament of Matrimony flow from Our Lord’s sacrifice. Attending Mass is what reminds them that God wants to make use of them as cooperators in the most beautiful of His works: sanctifying and protecting the souls of their children.

BEAUTIFUL!

And…

Father General, before concluding, allow us to ask a more personal question. Didn’t the responsibility that fell on your shoulders on July 11 of this year frighten you?

Yes, I must admit that I was somewhat afraid, and I even hesitated in my heart before accepting it. We are all vessels of clay, and that is true also of the man who is elected Superior General: even though it is a somewhat more visible and somewhat larger vessel, it is nonetheless fragile.

The thought of the Most Blessed Virgin is the only thing that enabled me to overcome the fear: I place my trust in her alone, and I do so totally. She is not made of clay because she is of ivory; she is not a fragile vessel because she is an impregnable tower: turris eburnea [as it says in the Litany of Loreto]. She is like an army set in battle array, terribilis ut castrorum acies ordinata [Canticle of Canticles 6:3], which knows in advance that victory is the only possible outcome of all its battles: “In the end my Immaculate Heart will triumph.”

You mean… you don’t think she is “normal”?

So, reading the whole of the interview – worthwhile – you get the sense that the brakes have been applied and a strong spiritualized approach is underway, at least from the office of the Superior of the SSPX.

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What to do with former-Card. McCarrick’s galero in the @WashArchdiocese Cathedral

Posted on 12 October 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

When a Pope names Cardinals they “get the red hat”.  These days the “red hat” is a Roman biretta in the cardinalatial red, porpora sacra.   However, as old paintings and present ecclesiastical coats-of-arms demonstrate, the old red hat was the great flat-brimmed galero, adorned with ties having several rolls of tassles.

Cardinals are still, usually, given these big hats, which they hang from the ceiling of their cathedrals or their titular churches in Rome.   The say goes that, when the last bit of a deceased cardinal’s hat finally drops to the floor due to the rot and dissolution of years, that’s when his soul is released from Purgatory.  Optimistic, I’d say.

I have – I don’t know why – never been in the Catholic Cathedral of St. Matthew in Washington DC.  Hence, I don’t know one way or another if former Cardinal McCarrick’s red galero is suspended in there.  Given his narcissism, I’d say it’s up there.

Is it?

If it is, should it be?

Let’s have a POLL.

Anyone can vote, but you have to be registered to leave a comment.

Chose your best/closest answer and, if you can and care to, leave your own comment.

Yes, yes… some of you will have your own ideas.  Yes, I know.

What to do with McCarrick's galero? If his galero is suspended in the DC Cathedral, it should be...

View Results

 

 

Posted in Liberals, Lighter fare, POLLS | Tagged , ,
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Something fun for Friday

Posted on 12 October 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

First, since it’s Columbus Day, a friend texted:

“We remember Columbus, who brought racial diversity to a previously mono-racial continent.”

God Bless, Christopher Columbus.

Next, this is worthy of some of Zuhlio’s album covers.

Also, you saw the video of the lunatics clawing at the doors of the SCOTUS when Justice Kavanaugh was sworn in.  You heard the infernal shrieks of the loons.

Here is something funny and really not.

At Vox:

We “refuse to be silent any longer”: magic as self-care after Kavanaugh
Modern-day witches are creating rituals to foster solidarity, activism, and healing.

Then, pour some salt into your hand.

Then, keeping the grains in your palm, take a pen to write out a thank you to Christine Blasey Ford, the woman whose allegations of sexual assault against Supreme Court nominee — and now justice — Brett Kavanaugh, stunned a nation.

Or, if you prefer, simply say, “I believe you.”

It’s just one of the many quasi-religious rituals circulating the internet — particularly pagan and #resistance circles — in the wake of Kavanaugh’s confirmation. These rituals help self-identified witches process trauma, anger, and grief.

The Gratitude Spell was authored by Instagram user @celestight (who did not respond to request for comment) for the pagan political organization WitchtheVote, which mobilizes voters to support candidates that defend progressive and feminist causes. In this open-ended spell, participants might choose to make a sigil — a sacred sign — on the paper, or vary their tribute to Ford in accordance with their own personal experiences and history. They might, if they so choose, send their note to Ford directly.

No matter what, the message is the same. We’re in this together. I believe you.

Modern Wicca and other New Age traditions in the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s were tied to second-wave feminism. Witchcraft and ritual have become more prominently associated with progressive political causes in recent years with the rise of the contemporary #magicresistance. Last year, for example, a 13,000-strong Facebook group formed to cast regular binding spells on Donald Trump.

But in the aftermath of the bitter fight over Kavanaugh’s confirmation, during which the judge firmly denied sexual misconduct against Ford or other women who came forward with similar allegations, rituals have become more than just an emotionally rewarding part of political energy-raising. They’ve also become a form of self-care.

[…]

First, these poor people are seriously dopey. Second, they are seriously foolish, and not just for their politics. It isn’t a sin to be dumb, unless you can help it. But it is seriously dangerous to do anything like this, because it invites demons to get involved in your life.

And I note the reference to “second-wave feminism“.

Yesterday, I heard some audio clips of real-feminist Camile Paglia on Rush’s show in the 3rd Hour. She DESTROYS modern idiot feminists, with their self-centered, brain-jettisoned shrieks. HERE Go listen. It’s amazing.

PAGLIA: … The period of the 1920s, 1930s. That, to me, is my favorite period in feminism, because these women admired what men had done. There was no male bashing as became systemic, okay, to second-wave feminism. It’s an absolute poison that has spread worldwide. A feminism based on denigrating men — trivializing what men have done, defining men as oppressors and tyrants through history — okay? It is an absolute lie. There have been crimes against women. Where they have occurred, we must condemn them, all right? But men throughout history have given their lives, okay, and their labor for the support of women and children. This is an element of second-wave feminism that, to me, is an extrapolation of neuroticism on the part of these fanatics, okay, who have been attracted to this movement.
[…]
PAGLIA: Human beings need religion. They need a religious perspective, a cosmic perspective, and getting rid of the orthodox religions — because they were too conservative — has simply led to the new religion of political correctness. All right? It’s the same kind of fanaticism. I mean, I’ve found that the second-wave feminists, it’s like the Spanish Inquisition. I’m not kidding. Like anything with any form of dissent, even within feminism, is treated as heresy, okay, and they actually try to destroy you.

She wrong about the Spanish Inquisition. Alas, she’s swallowed the lies about it. But what she said is dead on.

Camile Paglia has some monstrous ideas, but I can at least respect her for her honesty. She is about the only big name feminist for whom I have respect, as a matter of fact, though I deeply reject some of her positions. For example, I utterly reject her support for abortion, but she honestly says that abortion is murder, and “the extermination of the powerless by the powerful”. She rejects the stupid claims of new feminists and Dubmocrats about removal of “tissue”, etc. She acknowledges that it is murder. It’s just that, frankly, we don’t care, because it’s about power. Again, I hate what she says, but at least I can respect her honesty in calling our today’s feminists and the Dumbocrat Party of Death, the cowards who dodge the ethical implications of abortion

Okay, that part wasn’t so fun for Friday. But it was satisfying.

UPDATE:

Here’s something funny.

At Fishwrap (aka National Sodomitic Reporter) Madame Wile E. Defarge writes:

Wuerl hounded from office for becoming face of abuse crisis

Yes, you read that right.   Never mind that he submitted his resignation a couple years ago: he was “hounded” from office.

Not only:

Was he guilty of bad PR? Guilty as charged.

Bad PR.  Yep.  That’s what it was.

UPDATE:


I’ve found something funny for Friday: A BBC show, Upstart Crow a send up of Shakespeare.  It’s a bit naughty, like Shakespeare’s works themselves, when understood, and there are returning gags which pay dividends.  US HERE – UK HERE

Upstart Crow Titles + Credits from kate sullivan on Vimeo.

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ASK FATHER: ” I feel that my Faith is just being torn apart”

Posted on 12 October 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

Given with the view of the Holy Father regarding Mary thru this remarks, how should we read between the lines in this statement of the Holy Father? I’m confused.

Yet I am more terrified of what’s happening with the Church and of her future with bad bishops and clergy. I feel that my Faith is just being torn apart, piece by piece. Yet because of the Divine Promise, Tu Es Petrus, I’m assured that this is a storm we need to go under to purify the Church with it’s bad ministers.

You write: “I feel that my Faith is just being torn apart, piece by piece.”

No, dear reader.  It is not.  What you are seeing are the machinations of some highly placed people who are intent on changing the Church from within.   They don’t have THE FAITH to tear it apart.  They can’t tear apart what they don’t have.  That doesn’t mean that they can’t sow confusion.  But they can’t touch THE FAITH.  The FAITH is greater than they are.  The FAITHFUL are too.  You, as a faithful Catholic, have great power with your prayers and your acts of reparation.

If you hear a bunch of rubbish from someone, ignore it.   You can find THE FAITH in the pages of the Catechism of the Council of Trent and in the Catechism of the Catholic Church as well as in a number of other great sources, such as the writings of great saints, especially Doctors of the Church.

Now to the news, and your concern, that Francis thinks Mary was “a normal girl”.

Let me say from the onset that, in interviews, people can say things that aren’t entirely thought through.  In the moment they intend to underscore something, but, also in the moment, they express themselves awkwardly and, because of time restrictions, can’t add all the caveats and clarifications.

Let me also say that Francis says that he has a devotion to Mary, “Undoer of Knots”.  He stops after trips at Santa Maria Maggiore to visit the wondrous icon of Mary, Salus Populi Romani.    He established the Feast of Mary, Mother of the Church.  TODAY, 12 October, is the Feast of Mary, Mother of the Church.

We read at La Stampa that in a book-interview, Francis described the Blessed Virgin Mary as “a normal girl”.

The Italian daily Corriere della Sera has anticipated some excerpts of Bergoglio’s new book: “From the moment she was born until the Annunciation, to the moment she encountered the angel of God, I imagine her as a normal girl, a girl of today,  [?!?  Who had never committed even a venial sin.  The only one conceived without any stain of any kind of sin.  Immaculate.  “Singular vessel of devotion… Queen of Angels…”… you know, “normal”.] I can’t say she a city-girl, because she is from a small town, but normal, educated normally, open to marrying, to starting a family. [Is that what “girls of today” are like?] One thing I imagine is that she loved the Scriptures: she knew the Scriptures, she had done catechesis in a family environment, from the heart. [Does that descibe a normal girl of today?   Sorry, but if that’s the case the WHY DID WE NEED THIS SYNOD?!?] Then, after the conception of Jesus, she was still a normal woman: [Who conceived by the Holy Spirit and remained a virgin.] Mary is normal, she is a woman that any woman in this world can imitate. No strange things in life, a normal mother: even in her virginal marriage, chaste in that frame of virginity, Mary was normal. She worked, went shopping, helped her Son, helped her husband: normal”.  [That’s just doing stuff.  Those tasks don’t touch on who she is in a more profound way.  In a way this reflects the thoughts of those who reduce the priesthood to tasks, without consideration of the ontological character of the priest.  If priesthood is to be reduced to stuff the priest does, then it would make sense to choose as priests anyone who could do those things well, man, woman,… indeterminate.]

Emphasizing Mary’s rootedness in the people, Francis takes up one of the recurrent themes of his pontificate. “Normality is living among the people and like the people. It is abnormal to live without roots in a people, without connection with a historical people. In such conditions a sin – very much liked by Satan, , our enemy- is born : the sin of the elite. [?] The elite does not know what it means to live among the people and when I speak of the elite I do not mean a social class: I speak of an attitude of the soul. One can belong to a Church elite. But, as the Council says in Lumen Gentium, the Church is the faithful holy people of God. The Church is the people, the people of God. And the devil likes the elite. [Sorry… but I can’t help you with that.] 

“The re-creation begins with Mary, with a single woman,” [“single” in what sense?  Single as in “not married”?  Single as in “just one of many”?] says Pope Bergoglio. “Let’s think of the single women who run the house, who alone raise their children. [Whoa!  Mary was NOT a single mother.] Mary is even more alone. Alone, she begins this story, which continues with Joseph and the family; but at the beginning recreation is the dialogue between God and a single woman. Alone in the moment of proclamation and alone the moment her Son died”.  [And yet she is the icon of the Church.]

Were I to be asked to talk about Mary, it wouldn’t even enter into my mind to describe her as “normal”.

Again, in an interview you might want to underscore one issue without having time to add everything else that could be said, especially about a super rich theme.

May we, please, take a moment for the Litany of Loreto on this Feast of Mary, Mother of the Church?

Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy.
Christ hear us.
Christ graciously hear us.

God, the Father of heaven,
have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
God the Holy Spirit,
Holy Trinity, one God,

Holy Mary,
pray for us.
Holy Mother of God,
Holy Virgin of virgins,
Mother of Christ,
Mother of the Church,
Mother of divine grace,
Mother most pure,
Mother most chaste,
Mother inviolate,
Mother undefiled,
Mother most amiable,
Mother admirable,
Mother of good counsel,
Mother of our Creator,
Mother of our Saviour,
Mother of mercy,
Virgin most prudent,
Virgin most venerable,
Virgin most renowned,
Virgin most powerful,
Virgin most merciful,
Virgin most faithful,
Mirror of justice,
Seat of wisdom,
Cause of our joy,
Spiritual vessel,
Vessel of honour,
Singular vessel of devotion,
Mystical rose,
Tower of David,
Tower if ivory,
House of gold,
Ark of the covenant,
Gate of heaven,
Morning star,
Health of the sick,
Refuge of sinners,
Comfort of the afflicted,
Help of Christians,
Queen of Angels,
Queen of Patriarchs,
Queen of Prophets,
Queen of Apostles,
Queen of Martyrs,
Queen of Confessors,
Queen of Virgins,
Queen of all Saints,
Queen conceived without original sin,
Queen assumed into heaven,
Queen of the most holy Rosary,
Queen of families,
Queen of peace.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.

Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray.
Grant, we beseech thee,
O Lord God,
that we, your servants,
may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body;
and by the intercession of the Blessed Mary, ever Virgin,
may be delivered from present sorrow,
and obtain eternal joy.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

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Posted in ASK FATHER Question Box, Our Solitary Boast, The Drill |
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URGENT PRAYER REQUEST: Australia and removal of all abortion restrictions

Posted on 12 October 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader…

Dear Fr Z I read your Blog all the time. At the moment we have some horrendous legislation before our parliament, with voting to commence next week. The vote will be an attempt to remove all legal restrictions concerning abortion (ie., up to term with minimal restrictions and safeguards) It is truly horrendous and soul destroying. Could you please pray and ask your prayer warriors to pray for us here in Australia (QLD) To especially petition Our Lord for a profound change of heart in all of our Politicians and for the defeat of the Legislation.

Posted in Emanations from Penumbras, Urgent Prayer Requests | Tagged ,
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Francis accepted Card. Wuerl’s two year old resignation, wrote him a Letter

Posted on 12 October 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Today at last Francis accepted the heavily embroiled Card. Wuerl’s resignation.

Card. Wuerl turned 75 over two years ago. As the law requires he was to submit his resignation.    It was not accepted at the time.  Wuerl submitted another in September.

They’ve given it a lot of coverage.

Francis wrote a letter about it.  It’s in Italian.  HERE  The Archdiocese of Washington has it in English HERE.

I’ve read it.  I won’t comment on it, right now, for the sake of my and your blood pressure.  I have a doctor’s appointment coming up this morning.

In the WSJ account, however, I found this interesting line:

Cardinal Wuerl is now the second prominent U.S. Church official to be brought down by the sex-abuse scandal this year.

As one of my correspondents wrote today:

Viganò 2 – Francis 0

 

Posted in The Coming Storm, The Drill, The future and our choices | Tagged
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ASK FATHER: Official Latin of Fatima Rosary Prayer

Posted on 11 October 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

Is there an official Latin version of the Oratio Fatimae? I have seen different ones online and a fair amount of ambivalence about which to use. Keeping with St Thomas More, it seems to me that a prayer is made of words and that the words matter.

Thank you for your outstanding blog.

Yes, words matter.

No, there isn’t an official version.

However, there are many versions to choose from!

The original is in Portuguese:

O meu Jesus, perdoai-nos e livrai nos do fogo do inferno; levai as alminhas todas para o Ceu, principalmente aquelas que mais precisarem.

Notice that it doesn’t mention “mercy”. However, we are all used to adding that. So, we could say:

O Iesu mi, dimitte nobis peccata nostra, salva nos ab igne inferni, omnes perduc in caelum animas, praesertim (tua) maxime indigentes (misericordia).

There are a lot of versions out there, if memory serves.

This is timely, since Saturday 13 October is the anniversary of the final apparition at Fatima and the Miracle of the Sun.  Where I am, the Extraordinary Ordinary granted, at my request, to the priests in the Diocese of Madison, permission to say a Votive Mass of the Immaculate Heart of Mary as 2nd class, rather than observe the Feast of Edward the Confessor.  As wonderful as Edward is, he is less venerated in Wisconsin than in England.  Hence, we have the option of the Votive Mass.  This is the TLM, mind you, according to the rubrics of the 1962MR 342 & 370-372.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Our Solitary Boast | Tagged , ,
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NOTE TO READERS about email and contact

Posted on 11 October 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Dear readers, I get a huge amount of email.

If you want to write to me, use my CONTACT form.  A link is on the top menu.  If you don’t use that contact form, I may just delete your email if I don’t recognize it.  Really.

If you have ASK FATHER questions, use the ASK FATHER form.  A link is on the top menu.  If you don’t use that form, I may just delete your email.  Really.

Alas, I don’t have a secretary.  I have to do brutal, cold triage on everything that comes in.  If I see stuff floating around in my personal mail that I don’t immediately recognize as being “personal mail”, I have to cut it out and move on.

 

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Anniversary of John XXIII’s 1962 “Gaudet Mater Ecclesia” and how it has been misused #Synod2018 #VaticanII #podcast

Posted on 11 October 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Today is the anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council in 1962.  At the opening, John XXIII (whose feast it is today) gave a famous speech which is known by its incipt, Gaudet Mater Ecclesia.

John XXIII’s speech is imbued with a sense of hope and optimism. He described the situation of the Church in the modern world as he saw it. He spoke about how the Council was announced. He described in poetic terms what it felt like to be there in that moment, in the Vatican Basilica.

The most important thing John said, however, was (my emphases):

The manner in which sacred doctrine is spread, this having been established, it becomes clear how much is expected from the Council in regard to doctrine. That is, the Twenty-first Ecumenical Council, which will draw upon the effective and important wealth of juridical, liturgical, apostolic, and administrative experiences, wishes to transmit the doctrine, pure and integral, without any attenuation or distortion, which throughout twenty centuries, notwithstanding difficulties and contrasts, has become the common patrimony of men. It is a patrimony not well received by all, but always a rich treasure available to men of good will.

Our duty is not only to guard this precious treasure, as if we were concerned only with antiquity, but to dedicate ourselves with an earnest will and without fear to that work which our era demands of us, pursuing thus the path which the Church has followed for twenty centuries. […]
… But from the renewed, serene, and tranquil adherence to all the teaching of the Church in its entirety and preciseness, as it still shines forth in the Acts of the Council of Trent and First Vatican Council, the Christian, Catholic, and apostolic spirit of the whole world expects a step forward toward a doctrinal penetration and a formation of consciousness in faithful and perfect conformity to the authentic doctrine, which, however, should be studied and expounded through the methods of research and through the literary forms of modern thought. The substance of the ancient doctrine of the deposit of faith is one thing, and the way in which it is presented is another. And it is the latter that must be taken into great consideration with patience if necessary, everything being measured in the forms and proportions of a magisterium which is predominantly pastoral in character.

He goes on to speak about how in dealing with errors in the past, the Church had often issued severe condemnations.  Now, however, “the Spouse of Christ prefers to make use of the medicine of mercy rather than that of severity.”

Decide for yourselves how well that has worked.

This comes to mind today, especially, because I saw a video in which the Archbishop of Chicago, presently in Rome for the Synod (“walking together”) made a video along with his theological advisor, Fr. Louis Cameli.

“Cameli”, thought I.  The guy who uses Scripture in an odd way so as to undermine Christ’s words about marriage.  HERE

A few years ago, Cameli published something in Jesuit run Amerika in which he quoted Gaudet Mater Ecclesia in such a way as to entirely distort what John XXIII said.  I wrote a post about that HERE.  Let’s see what he did (from that post).  He is writing against the Four Cardinals of the Five Dubia:

Cameli pits St. John XXIII and his opening speech, “Gaudet Mater Ecclesia” at the Second Vatican Council against the Four Cardinals, whom he has already accused of being disingenuous.

I don’t think we should allow St. John XXIII’s words and the Second Vatican Council to be so abused.

Watch how the meaning of Gaudet Mater Ecclesia is completely changed by the cuts Cameli makes.  Read these side by side, taking note of the ellipses (those are the little dots…):

GME 6 used by Cameli GME 6 more accurately translated GME 6 Original Latin
The salient point of this Council is not…a discussion of one article or another of the fundamental doctrine of the Church which has repeatedly been taught by the Fathers and by ancient and modern theologians, and which is presumed to be well known and familiar to all. The salient point of this Council is not, therefore, a discussion of one article or another of the fundamental doctrine of the Church which has repeatedly been taught by the Fathers and by ancient and modern theologians, and which is presumed to be well known and familiar to all. 

 

 Neque opus nostrum, quasi ad finem primarium, eo spectat, ut de quibusdam capitibus praecipuis doctrinae ecclesiasticae disceptetur, atque adeo fusius repetantur ea, quae Patres ac theologi veteres et recentiores tradiderunt, et quae a vobis non ignorari sed in mentibus vestris inhaerere merito putamus.
For this a Council was not necessary…

[HERE HE LEAVES A BUNCH OF STUFF OUT]

 

 

the Christian, Catholic, and apostolic spirit of the whole world expects a step forward toward doctrinal penetration and a formation of consciousness in faith and perfect conformity to authentic doctrine….

[HERE HE LEAVES MORE STUFF OUT]

 

 For this a council was not necessary. But from the renewed, serene and tranquil adherence to all the teaching of the Church in its entirety and preciseness, as it still shines forth in the acts of the Council of Trent and the First Vatican Council, the Christian, Catholic and apostolic spirit of the whole world expects a step forward toward a doctrinal penetration and a formation of consciences in faithful and perfect conformity to the authentic doctrine which, however, should be studied and expounded through the methods of research and through the literary forms of modern thought. Etenim ad huiusmodi tantum disputationes habendas non opus erat, ut Concilium Oecumenicum indiceretur. Verumtamen in praesenti oportet ut universa doctrina christiana, nulla parte inde detracta, hic temporibus nostris ab omnibus accipiatur novo studio, mentibus serenis atque pacatis, tradita accurata illa ratione verba concipiendi et in formam redigendi, quae ex actis Concilii Tridentini et Vaticani Primi praesertim elucet; oportet ut, quemadmodum cuncti sinceri rei christianae, catholicae, apostolicae fautores vehementer exoptant, eadem doctrina amplius et altius cognoscatur eaque plenius animi imbuantur atque formentur; oportet ut haec doctrina certa et immutabilis, cui fidele obsequium est praestandum, ea ratione pervestigetur et exponatur, quam tempora postulant nostra.
The substance of the ancient doctrine of the deposit of faith is one thing, and the way in which it is presented is another.

[HE LEAVES CRITICALLY IMPORTANT STUFF OUT THIS TIME, AND WITHOUT THE ELLIPSES]

 

 The substance of the ancient doctrine of the deposit of faith or the truths which are contained in our time-honored teaching is one thing, the manner in which these truths are set forth – in the same meaning and understanding – is another. Est enim aliud ipsum depositum Fidei, seu veritates, quae veneranda doctrina nostra continentur, aliud modus, quo eaedem enuntiantur, eodem tamen sensu eademque sententia.
And it is the latter that must be taken into great consideration with patience if necessary, everything being measured in the forms and proportions of a magisterium which is predominantly pastoral in character [emphases added]. And it is the latter that must be taken into great consideration, with patience if necessary, everything being measured in the forms and proportions of a magisterium which is predominantly pastoral in character.” Huic quippe modo plurimum tribuendum erit et patienter, si opus fuerit, in eo elaborandum; scilicet eae inducendae erunt rationes res exponendi, quae cum magisterio, cuius indoles praesertim pastoralis est, magis congruant.

Cameli made these cuts not simply because he had a word limitation on his article.  He wanted to diminish the stress that St. John XXIII placed on continuity between the Second Vatican Council and earlier Catholic teaching, including Trent and Vatican I.

In any event, today, the anniversary of the opening of the Council and Gaudet Mater Ecclesia, after seeing Cupich and Cameli from Rome, I thought you might like a fuller picture of what is going on in the minds of those who are involved in the “walking together”.

Lastly, today is also the anniversary of the promulgation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in 1992.

If you want to hear Gaudet Mater Ecclesia, I made a PODCAzT about it some time back.  I finish reading the speech at about 35:00.  The last part is my rant, which is appropriate also for what is going on today.

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ASK FATHER: Is “Amoris laetitia” really translated “The Exuberance of Lust”?

Posted on 10 October 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

I read in a couple obscure places that the literal translation of Amoris Laetitia (which was originally in Latin) is something along the lines of “the Exuberance of Lust”, based on common usage of the Latin words. Is that true?

A couple of things.

Official Church documents having a certain weight are generally known by their “incipit”, the first two or three words.  Hence, the Apostolic Letter by which John Paul II said that women can’t be ordained begins:

Ordinatio sacerdotalis, per quam munus traditur, quod Christus Apostolis suis concredidit fideles docendi, sanctificandi et regendi, in Ecclesia Catholica inde ab initio semper solis viris reservata est. Quam traditionem Ecclesiae etiam Orientales fideliter retinuerunt.

That’s why it is called: Ordinatio sacerdotalis.

Orthography can vary.  Some publications stick to tradition and use capital letters only when they are in the document.  For example, an ecumenical Council is always capitalized, hence, Sacrosanctum Concilium, but Lumen genitum and Gaudium et spes.  Summorum Pontificum but Amoris laetitia.  Again, depending on a publication’s style sheet this van vary, so that all the words are always capitalized.  But, that’s where the name comes from: the incipit.

In the past, documents were composed mainly in Latin.  Now they aren’t and Latin is relegated to a “translation” at the time it is released to the public in the first form.  However, the final, ultimately official form is to be found, later, in the Acta Apostolica Sedis, the official instrument of promulgation of Church documents.  The versions that appears in the AAS can have been revised.  Hence, it is important always to check the AAS version, in Latin, for Church’s official teaching.  Apropos, the LATIN of the changed CCC paragraph 2267 on capital punishment says something different from the vernacular versions.  This is important stuff.

Today, however, since documents are worked on in some other language than Latin, when the Holy See does something so foolish, so precipitous, so clearly ridiculous as to release the incipit title of a document long before it’s release, we are left to scratch our heads.  We know they aren’t writing in Latin, so why the pretense?

That’s why I almost pulled my hair out in frustration when I saw that the title of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation had been released – the LATIN title – without the rest of the sentence to which it belonged!  I wrote note after note to the Holy See Press Office hoping for an explanation, but I was ignored.  I even pointed out to them how truly awful that title could be translated without context.  Yes, “Exuberance of Lust” is a possibility.

You can equally say… pick one from one column and another from the other:

Delight
Gladness
Joy

of

Love
Passion
Desire
Lust
Eros/Cupid (personified)

Of course in Latin, “amor” can have all sorts of overtones, as it can in English (depending on the context).  Some of them would be clean and some would be filthy.

About “common usage”.  That varies.

Mind you, if a document is issued by a, say, cooking school or a government office or a car manufacturer, you suspect that the jargon of the document will follow a certain tradition of cooking, officing and manufacturing.

Similarly, you don’t expect that Church documents will have the same tenor as, say, a book by Alex Comfort or Alfred Kinsey.  At least… we never did before.

If you wanted to be creative and also ignore the context, ignore that it’s a papal document, you could render Amoris laetitia as just about anything, including “The Exuberance of Lust”.  And no one could say you were wrong… provided you ignored the context, the genre of the document.  Indeed, Amoris laetitia can mean that.

If we are going to talk about “common usage” through the whole of the history of Latin, then amor and laetitia are going to be connected in quite a few different contexts.   The poems of Catullus and the Imitation of Christ are both in Latin.  If I am reading a work by Theresa of Avila I might get a different overtone of a word like “love” than I would I were reading, say, The Kinsey Report.  (cf. Wiker on that one!)

You can sort of guess that Amoris laetitia wasn’t going to be about Greco-Roman myth and The Delight of Cupid (Amoris laetitia) when he mischievously zaps someone with his arrow, the rascal.  You can sort of guess that it isn’t going to be about orgasms as The Joy of Sex would imply (Amoris laetitia).

But, yes, you could indeed translate Amoris laetitia as “The Exuberance of Lust”.  That’s why it was really stupid of the Holy See to release the incipit title without a context.  People had all sorts of ideas about it.  I even wrote about it on this blog (for example HERE).

Anyway, if you were to have asked me before the document was released I would have responded that I was pretty sure that Amoris laetitia didn’t intend “The Joy of Sex”.   If you were to ask me after I read Chapter 8, I am not entirely sure that I would change my mind, or not.

Now, however, we know that the Exhortation begins:

Amoris laetitia quae in familiis viget laetitia est quoque Ecclesiae.

Which is, according to common use,

“Cupid’s happiness, which is in high esteem in the estate and its properties, is also the joy of the meeting of the senate and the people.”

Fun with Latin.

Then again… the Devil hates Latin.  And the Devil always tells you what he is up to, one way or another.

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