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

Cringeworthy Narcissistic Jesuit Homosexualist Prayer from @JamesMartinSJ

Posted on 1 November 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Narcissistic Jesuit homosexualist (I know… tautology) James Martin, LGBTQSJ is the topic of a post at LifeSite. Jesuit-run Amerika is spamming people with a narcissistic Jesuit homosexualist prayer composed by Martin.

This part caught my special attention:

Michael Hichborn, president of the Lepanto Institute, was sent the mailing by America magazine, despite the fact that Martin has tried to get his organization removed from Facebook and Twitter.

“First, Fr. James Martin, SJ tried to get the Lepanto Institute banned from Facebook and twitter. Now, he’s spamming my mailbox,” commented Hichborn on his Facebook page. “Contained in this mailing is a ‘prayer book’ with two of the most cringeworthy, narcissistic ‘prayers’ I have ever read. And I’ve seen some pretty insipid stuff.”

“As a researcher and analyst, I always make sure to keep an eye on what the enemies of the Church are saying, which is why I opened the mailer (from America magazine, featuring Fr. James Martin, SJ),” Hichborn told LifeSiteNews in a separate interview. “As I read the prayer booklet, my initial reaction was to roll my eyes at the cringeworthy wording. But as I thought about what the prayer was saying, it dawned on me Fr. Martin was implying that God is a homosexual.” [There it is.]

“Think about it. First, the prayer (which was written specifically for homosexuals) says, ‘Loving God, you made me who I am.’ Given that this was written for homosexuals, one can only conclude that Fr. Martin is suggesting that homosexuals were created as homosexuals. He is identifying the person with their disordered sexual attraction, speaking to the nature of the person as a homosexual. He then says, ‘I am wonderfully made in your own image,’ which clearly implies that God is a homosexual. If God made a homosexual as a homosexual by nature, and said homosexual is made in the image of God, then this can only mean that the image of God as a homosexual comes from a homosexual God.”

“This prayer is deeply perverse in its theological implications on many levels, and is to be condemned,” added Hichborn.

ASK FATHER: Priest attacked me for how I made my confession.

Posted on 31 October 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

Today, I went for confession to the capuchins like I usually do. The priests there tend to be great confessors. However, today I had quite a bad experience.

I confess in kind and number and I keep a list with me to make sure I don’t forget anything. It is what works for me, but today the confessor I had made it a point to attack me about my style of confessing. He said that he thought that I live (and confess) in a too rigid way and that he thought that I had no life energy, no happiness, in me despite my young age. I was quite shocked by his words and I immediately felt down….

He used an ad-lib style of absolution which did include the essential words. However, as you might imagine, I feel miserable. I know how the Sacraments work, but I don’t think I am worthy again to approach our Lord in communion. Would it be a sacrilege on my part to visit another priest to confess my sins and receive absolution again, despite the (valid, but illicit) absolution of today? My soul feels lost and it hungers for closure. What to do father?

I would really appreciate your advice.

First, I am really sorry. I would like to apologize to you for every stupid thing he said and did. I will do some penance in reparation for his bad treatment of you.

Second, lay people don’t have to take this mistreatment. I suggest that you write a brief letter to that Capuchin’s superior, either in the house in which he lives or his provincial. Keep it very brief. Start with the facts. Conclude with how you felt about it after. Make it much like the note you sent to me. However, include the place and time and the NAME of that priest. Send a copy of that same letter to the local diocesan bishop. Also, add a statement that you realize that, because of the Seal, that priest is forbidden to talk about that particular confession or any other. You write to let you know what YOUR experience was, apart from what that confessor might respond.

I think you should write not just because this priest acted like an oaf, and he did, and a superior will recognize that. He also didn’t stick to the form of absolution. That’s serious. Who knows what he is doing?

If the superior or the bishop write back with something stupid, save it and consider sending copies to the Congregation for Divine Worship in Rome.

We don’t have to take this from confessors. They are not our overlords or judges. Christ is the Judge and they sit in his place especially to exercise mercy. They are not our accusers: WE ARE. We are our own prosecutors in the confessional.

“Life energy.” What a load of rubbish.

Yes, if you are not sure about having been validly absolved, you can by all means go to another confessor. You can go and relate the experience to another confessor as well even if you think you were validly absolved.

Alas, friends, any one who reads this: sometime we run into these dopey priests. Most of them are not malicious. They think they are really onto something! They have a rather high regard of themselves, which is not necessarily a good thing in a confessor, who ought to receive confessions in a state of confident humility.

Never let a bad confessor keep you away from going to confession regularly. As a matter of fact, what I would hope you would all do in these cases is,

leave the confessional with the resolve to avoid that one, except in urgent need
say a prayer for the confessor as you knock the dust from your heels
go straight away, if possible, to another confessor and, even if you don’t need to confess because the idiot gave you valid absolution, tell that priest thank you for hearing confessions.

Yes, the idea is: fight back by getting right back up on the confession horse again.

Don’t take it lying down. Don’t be silent about it. Don’t let it slow you down or discourage you.

Everyone… pray for confessors and …

everyone together…

GO TO CONFESSION!

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, GO TO CONFESSION, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000 | Tagged confession, confessor, sacrament of penance
23 Comments

How libs and their “gay” allies want you crushed into silence

Posted on 31 October 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Crisis has a piece which talks about how homosexualist Jesuit (tautology?) James Martin, LGBTQSJ has urged his twitter and fakebook followers to attack LifeSite and other faithful Catholic sites for something they didn’t do.

This isn’t the first time Martin has organized an attack: he did that to me, too. But I digress.

Austin Ruse writes:

[Aaron] Bianco’s cause has been picked up by dissident Jesuit Fr. James Martin who has urged his nearly one million social media followers to get Facebook and Twitter to shut down LifeSite and Church Militant. He also called on his followers to complain to their bishops. He, too, believes these groups must be silenced.

Martin calls for tolerance and dialogue. Sure! So long as nothing challenging is offered his side or so long as you agree. If you disagree, with the sickly smile of Geryon, he’ll attack you through the agency of others.

The Libs, with their massive menagerie of allies, work from a special meaning of “liberal”. “Liberal”, as you know, is from Latin, for “free”. Libs are those with whom you are free to agree. Anything else is not allowed. This is why a while back many prominent libs whined that Catholic converts shouldn’t have a voice in the square. This is why certain libs call for people to be fired or want to watch as their opponents are guillotined.

Scratch a lib and you find a Nazi.

Posted in SESSIUNCULA | Tagged Fr. James Martin
7 Comments

All Saints 2017 – 1 Nov- Holy Day of Obligation – Deliberately ignore? Grave sin!

Posted on 31 October 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

In these United States, be sure to check your parish schedules for Masses.

Thursday 1 November 2017 is a Holy Day of OBLIGATION.

For our part, there will be a Missa Cantata at St. Mary’s in Pine Bluff, WI, in the Extraordinary Form. 6:30 PM

Remember that the Church can determine out obligations in this regard. It is a Commandment of the Church that we are to fulfill our obligation on Sundays and other Holy Days of obligation. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains our obligation in the section about the Third Commandment of the Decalogue:

2180 The precept of the Church specifies the law of the Lord more precisely: “On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass.” “The precept of participating in the Mass is satisfied by assistance at a Mass which is celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the holy day or on the evening of the preceding day.”

2181 The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on days of obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants) or dispensed by their own pastor. Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin.

Canon Law

So, do check your schedules.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Canon Law, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000 |
13 Comments

ASK FATHER: Confessing remembered forgotten sins

Posted on 30 October 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader…

QUAERITUR:

I tend to get very nervous in confession and I do better if I just stick to the script so to speak so I don’t start rambling. Is there a formula for confessing mortal sins that were forgotten in a previous confession, or do I just list them off with all the new ones? Do we still confess forgotten sins in kind and number?

If sticking to the script works for you, that’s fine. It works for confessors too! Thank you for not rambling.

If later you remember something that you haven’t yet confessed, then confess it the next time you go.

Don’t worry: if your last confession was sincere and you confessed all that you could remember, ALL your sins were forgiven, including those which you had forgotten. Remembering them does not mean that you lose the state of grace, or fall back into the state of sin. The sins were forgiven.

However, we are nevertheless asked by the Church to confess all our sins in both kind and number. If you remember something that you haven’t confessed, confess it the next time even though it was forgiven.

As for a formula: No, nothing formal. You might say, “Since my last confession I remembered something that I haven’t previously confessed….”

I hope this helps.

Everyone… GO TO CONFESSION!

We are coming up on a week or so when we can gain many plenary indulgences for the Poor Souls. We have to be in the state of grace to gain plenary indulgences and we should be detached from any kind of sin.

GO TO CONFESSION!

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, GO TO CONFESSION, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000 | Tagged confession, kind and number, sacrament of penance
16 Comments

My View For Awhile: Purgation Edition

Posted on 30 October 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I’m offering up the mornings frustrations and irritation in reparation for the Synod (“walking together”).

Apart from having to leave and leave before 4 for the sake of the early flight, the weather was horrific again this morning (have you seen the news?), and at the airport there was extreme chaos. The chaos was the result of the Alitalia personnel setting up no signs indicating the sort of line you needed. Some were checked and had to drop bags, some were Priority (moi meme), some needed full check. Eventually I determined the right point to penetrate the scrum. Languid indifference to customers would aptly characterize the employees at the counters.

And, you would think that people would have their ID ready. No? Any mental anticipation? The slightest situational awareness?

At the gate, same problem as before. No signs to show what line you needed. I asked a drone about Priority. He referred me and others to the Priority line. When I asked him to show us the sign, he seemed to get my point.

Anyway, this is the sort of thing that the Left wants. They want socialism. When airlines are run by governments this is the service you get. This is an Airfrance flight but it is handled by Alitalia on the ground: enough said.

I have a decent layover in Paris, so some delay won’t be too much of a concern.

Patience and painkillers.

But hey! Rome was great! It’s the coming and going that challenge.

UPDATE

I guess my reparation might have been somewhat attenuated a little.

Compare these to Delta. Hah.

The fussing children over whom europarents are exercising no comfort of control are way in the back.

We just heard an announcement that the flight staff will be with us all the way to Chicago, which strikes me as a good idea, since this is a non -stop to Chicago.

Posted in SESSIUNCULA |
13 Comments

Your Sunday Sermon Notes

Posted on 30 October 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Was there a good point made in the sermon you heard during your Mass to fulfill your Sunday Obligation?

Let us know.

You were paying attention, weren’t you?

Posted in SESSIUNCULA |
4 Comments

Rome – Day 7: Mass for Benefactors and Cena di Congedo

Posted on 29 October 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

It has been a pretty nasty day in the Eternal City. The weather was as dreadful today as it has been beautiful over the week. I did get out for some last needful errands and got drenched.

As promised, I said Holy Mass – Votive of the Most Holy Trinity – for my benefactors: those of you who have sent donations, either ad hoc or by monthly subscription, and who have sent items from my lists and so forth. A shot from the Mass.

It is a pleasure and a duty to be willingly and frequently fulfilled. You help me and I help you in the best ways I can.

After Mass, for too few minutes, I saw The Great Roman™ who was there for a meeting of the Archconfraternity which St. Philip Neri himself founded – yes, still going.

I also was able to meet again with the new tailor for discussion of cassocks, which is good. He showed me some samples of fabric and we discussed various features. When I know I’ll be back next time, I’ll let him know and indicate any changes about two weeks in advance and that will be that! It’ll be good having a tailor in Urbe again. I truly miss old Giuseppe: R.I.P.

Finally, I invited one of the guys over to clean out my refrigerator. We did this by having a supper of odds and ends of various wonderful cheeses and sausages I’ve collected over the week, supplemented with good salads from the restaurant down below (nice people), who offered us freshly made focaccia. Then I sent him home with all the leftovers and edibles in packet, jar and bag.

Everything is ready for a super early departure for the airport… except me. I would like to have had a few more days. That’s life.

I’ll be back soon.

Posted in On the road, What Fr. Z is up to |
6 Comments

More on #Synod2018 (“walking together”) document #146

Posted on 29 October 2018 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Today the pithily perspicacious Fr H looks at the Synod’s (“walking together”) notion about developing ways to certify Catholic blogs to avoid “fake news”.

He wrote along the lines of what I wrote HERE. He also wrote:

We seem to have come a long way from those broad sunlit uplands when Benedict XVI (remember him? The ‘Rat’, the ‘Inquisitor’, the ‘Panzer Cardinal’? Yes, that one) encouraged blogging, and especially clerical bloggers. Now, the era of the boors and the bullies. [It’s the age of the Hoopers. Indeed, it’s the age of the Hooper/Blanche Hybrid, but with none of the charm or insight and all of the perversion.]

Shall we, in a few years’ time, discover that we have Diocesan, National, and Worldwide systems for closing down free discussion in the Church? After all, the Synod will have “called for it”, won’t it?

“Synodality” sounds so democratic, modern, open and free. What’s not to like? And this Synod has concluded with the usual flurry of synthetic Bergoglian rhetoric about the Holy Spirit. In such liberated and happy times, don’t you need to be paranoid to be suspicious?

Don’t you believe it. Bullies are bullies are bullies.

Perhaps it is too early and, as yet, unfair, to bring in the image of Perón.

In my above-mentioned post I said:

If they want to know the meaning of total, unrestricted and asymetrical warfare just try that. They won’t know what hit them.

Can you imagine what the reaction would be in the blogosphere and through other media were there to develop such an initiative in the Church? To certify (censor) Catholic sites?

I didn’t pull that image of “unrestricted and asymetrical warfare” out of the blue. Years ago I read a book by a couple of Chinese colonels about how they could take down the USA. The book has become an important resource. It describes a way of fighting with limited resources a much greater power. US HERE – UK HERE

I bring this up because such an effort would be a waste of time and energy, highly divisive, and a complete failure.