Fr. Z's Blog | Formerly entitled: "What Does The Prayer Really Say?" – Clear, straight commentary on Catholic issues, liturgy and life by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf o{]:¬)

Important Prayer Request

Posted on 4 March 2017 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

13_04_11_Gemma UPDATE 4 March:

May I ask you all to redouble your prayers? K is still in hospital now. They are trying to get the spinal fluid to stop leaking. This is becoming pesky.

__________________

Originally Published on: Feb 27, 2017

Will the readership please say a prayer for a friend – K – to St. Gemma Galgani? Please ask her intercession – right now – to heal his spinal cord, still leaking spinal fluid – after surgery a while back.

Here is a common prayer, asking for St. Gemma’s intercession, which I have slightly modified. Please take a moment – stop – and pray this now?

Oh St. Gemma, how compassionate was your love for those in distress, and how great your desire to help them. Help, also in his present necessity and obtain for K the favor I humbly implore, if it be profitable for his soul. The numerous miracles and the wonderful favors attributed to your intercession instill in me the confidence that you can help him. Pray to Jesus, your Spouse, for K. Show Him the stigmata which His love has given you. Remind Him of the blood which flowed from these same wounds, the excruciating pain which you have suffered and the tears which you have shed for the salvation of souls. Place all this as your precious treasure in a chalice of love and Jesus will hear you. Amen.

There is a Novena to St. Gemma for back pain. HERE

Posted in PRAYER REQUEST |
31 Comments

ASK FATHER: Removing Holy Water during Lent

Posted on 4 March 2017 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a reader…

I am currently serving at a parish as a transitional deacon. On Thursday I noticed along with the parishioners that the Holy Water was removed from the entrance of the church. They were looking all around for it and asked me where it went. I learned that the pastor had removed it because we are in the “desert days” of Lent. [Dumb! Dumb! DUMB!] Even the laity knew that the water is only removed during Holy Week. [After the Holy Thursday Mass.] They are afraid to speak up. What would be the best way to approach the pastor to bring this up? I offered to bless some water for the people if they wanted some. Thoughts?

Thoughts? Yes, I have some thoughts. In the past I have called this “Dumb liberal idea #3464 = Reason #583739 for Summorum Pontificum”.

Each year we are seeing a lessening of liturgical stupidity, as those of a certain age go to their retirement or reward (the so-called “Biological Solution”) and young people with less strange liturgical baggage step into their positions. Nevertheless, some aberrations continue. One particularly dumb and annoying liturgical oddity is the removal of holy water from stoups during Lent.

If you are a new Catholic or catechumen and haven’t yet seen that, just remember that the people doing this, … know not what they do.

To all the priests out there still… unbelievably still putting sand in holy water fonts during Lent…

KNOCK IT OFF!

I’ll rant for a bit later, but in the meantime someone put this question to the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments. They responded. Enjoy.

The emphases are mine:

Prot. N. 569/00/L

March 14, 2000

Dear Father:

This Congregation for Divine Worship has received your letter sent by fax in which you ask whether it is in accord with liturgical law to remove the Holy Water from the fonts for the duration of the season of Lent.

This Dicastery is able to respond that the removing of Holy Water from the fonts during the season of Lent is not permitted, in particular, for two reasons:

1. The liturgical legislation in force does not foresee this innovation, which in addition to being praeter legem is contrary to a balanced understanding of the season of Lent, which though truly being a season of penance, is also a season rich in the symbolism of water and baptism, constantly evoked in liturgical texts.

2. The encouragement of the Church that the faithful avail themselves frequently of the [sic] of her sacraments and sacramentals is to be understood to apply also to the season of Lent. The “fast” and “abstinence” which the faithful embrace in this season does not extend to abstaining from the sacraments or sacramentals of the Church. The practice of the Church has been to empty the Holy Water fonts on the days of the Sacred Triduum in preparation of the blessing of the water at the Easter Vigil, and it corresponds to those days on which the Eucharist is not celebrated (i.e., Good Friday and Holy Saturday).

Hoping that this resolves the question and with every good wish and kind regard, I am,

Sincerely yours in Christ,
[signed]
Mons. Mario Marini [Later, the Secretary of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, now with God.]
Undersecretary

Did you get the part where the Congregation said: “is not permitted”?

Holy water is a sacramental.

We get the powerful theology of its use in the older Roman Ritual in the prayers for exorcism of the water and salt used and then the blessing itself. The rite of blessing holy water, in the older ritual, is powerful stuff. It sounds odd, nearly foreign to our modern ears, especially after decades of being force fed Novus Ordo pabulum.

Holy Water is a power weapon of the spiritual life against the attacks of the devil.

I would ask these priests:

You do believe in the existence of the Enemy, … right?
You know you are a soldier and pilgrim in a dangerous world, … right?
So why… why… why would these liturgists and priests REMOVE a tool of spiritual warfare precisely during the season of LENT when we need it the most?

Holy water is a sacramental.

It is for our benefit.

It is not a toy, or something to be abstained from, like chocolate or television.

So, don’t stand for this nonsense. If the Holy Water has been removed… clamor for its return!

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Liberals | Tagged holy water, holy water fonts, LENT
31 Comments

Pope Francis: modernity, vernacular stirred up many problems – music “mediocre, superficial and banal”

Posted on 4 March 2017 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Nothing will come of this, of course, but it is nice to hear it from Pope Francis. Alas, Benedict XVI and John Paul II said similar things about music and liberals ignored them, too.

Via Vatican Radio [which is going to cease to be a true “radio” it seems]:

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Saturday received the participants in a major international conference on sacred music, a half-century after the promulgation of the Conciliar document, Musicam sacram on music in the sacred liturgy.

Over 400 people taking part in the gathering organized by the Congregation for Catholic Education and the Pontifical Council for Culture around the theme: Music and the Church: cult and culture fifty years after Musicam sacram, met in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace to hear the Holy Father.

“Certainly,” said Pope Francis, “the encounter with modernity and the introduction of [vernacular] tongues into the Liturgy stirred up many problems: of musical languages, forms and genres.” [Pope Francis said that?]

The Holy father went on to say, “Sometimes a certain mediocrity, superficiality and banality have prevailed, to the detriment of the beauty and intensity of liturgical celebrations.” [!]

The Pope encouraged the various actors in the field of liturgical music – from composers, conductors, musicians and choristers, to liturgical animators [? I don’t think they mean MCs, do you?] – to do their best to contribute to the renewal of sacred music and liturgical chant, especially as far as the quality of sacred music is concerned.

“To facilitate this process,” Pope Francis said, “we need to promote proper musical education, especially for those who are preparing to become priests – in dialogue with the musical trends of our time, with the demands of the different cultural areas, and with an ecumenical attitude.”

Well, I’ll be!

Let’s now watch the hypocrisy of the libs who hang on every word that Pope Francis utters about the environment as if it is a combination of the Gospels, the oracle of Delphi, and an apparition of Vishnu. They generally insist on rigid obedience to his each and every oracular utterance. In this matter, however, they will do nothing…. unless…

Hmmmm… for libs up is really down, black is white, adultery and cohabitation are normalized, women can be ordained and 2+2=5.

Hence, another possibility is that libs will insist that when the Pope says “mediocre, superficial and banal” he really doesn’t mean Joncas, Haas and Haugen. In fact, that’s the music he wants. The “mediocre, superficial and banal”, they will say, is Gregorian chant, Palestrina and the pipe organ. After all THEY HATE VATICAN II!

The moderation queue is ON.

Posted in Liturgy Science Theatre 3000 | Tagged liturgical music, Musicam sacram, Pope Francis, sacred music, vernacular
21 Comments

CQ CQ CQ – Ham Radio Thursday: Vatican Radio’s suicide based on bad econ and bad info

Posted on 4 March 2017 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

First, the bad news.

From Sandro Magister on the sad sad sad blinkered decision to shut down Vatican Radio’s shortwave operations.

There was a big stir over the post from Settimo Cielo [HERE and HERE ] on February 20 about the precarious situation of Vatican Radio now that it has ended up in the hands [clutches?] of Monsignor Dario Viganò, prefect of the newly created secretariat for communication.

In particular, the cutting of shortwave broadcasts and the announcement that the transmission station at Santa Maria di Galeria will be closed have plunged into dismay the supporters of this radio broadcasting system that was the glory of Vatican Radio, because of its unique ability to arrive as a free and true voice even in the most geographically and politically inhospitable places of the world.

It was useless for competent voices to inform Monsignor Viganò that closing the center at Santa Maria di Galeria makes no strategic sense.

This closure would come, in fact, precisely when some of the most powerful radio networks of the world are not reducing but increasing their shortwave broadcasts.

This is the case of the BBC in England and of Japan’s NHK.

One year ago the British government allocated 85 million pounds for the BBC to reach millions more listeners by shortwave, in addition to the current 56 million, especially in Russia, North Korea, the Middle East, and Africa.

As for NHK, it has already asked Vatican Radio for permission to use its facilities at Santa Maria di Galeria to enhance its shortwave broadcasts to Africa, since it is already at top capacity at its broadcast center in Madagascar, which it has relied upon until now. [So, it’s about the income. This comes as the Vatican is letting out its property to open up McDonald’s in the sight of the cupola.]

The center in Santa Maria di Galeria is universally recognized for its excellence and would be a sure-fire source of revenue if, in addition to continuing its own broadcasts, Vatican Radio were to rent out its facilities to other broadcasters. [Typically, they seem to see its use as a kind of zero-sum situation.]

*

And then there is another misconception that Monsignor Viganò employs when in order to justify the shutdown of shortwave he appeals to the environmental encyclical of Pope Francis, “Laudato Si’.” [The document which vilified air conditioning.]

He said in an interview with the magazine “Prima Comunicazione”:

“I think of the emissions of carbon dioxide that shortwave produces. [?!?] We cannot proclaim ourselves outside of the magisterium of the Holy Father.”

In reality, this consideration of his does not have the slightest scientific foundation, as was promptly explained to Viganò not by one but by several experts. [Why be bothered with facts when you can … ehem… score points!]

On the specialized portal Italradio, for example, the prefect of the secretariat for communication could have found the explanation that analog radio broadcasts release much less CO2 into the atmosphere than the digital technologies with which he would like to replace shortwave. [Because everyone out there in the bush in Africa has handy internet and smart phones.]

And there are those who have calculated that a shortwave transmitter with its antenna plus a receiving radio consume, in total, no more than 6 kW of electricity, equal to two domestic consumers. Twenty times less than a streamed broadcast, with all the technological apparatus that this involves.

Now the good news.

For those of you who are also digital, one of our participants here, who had set up the Echolink node available to us (554286 – WB0YLE-R – Thanks! – Remember: You must be licensed to use Echolink), has also been working on… well… I’ll let him explain. Here are a couple screen shots of our sms trialogues about creating the ZedNet…

Regress and progress.

I created a page for the List of YOUR callsigns. HERE Chime in or drop me a note if your call doesn’t appear in the list.

73!

Posted in Ham Radio, Pò sì jiù | Tagged Ham radio, Ham Radio Saturday, Vatican Radio. short wave radio
8 Comments

Friday after Ash Wednesday … once The Feast of the Crown of Thorns

Posted on 3 March 2017 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

UPDATE: A reader has sent photos from the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris where she saw the relic exposed!

She wrote:

I was impressed by the huge crowd and most went up to venerate the Crown. The service was dignified, beautiful and moving. No antics. No craziness. Moral of the story? When people come to church they want the Faith, the authentic Faith. They don’t want to be entertained. They go elsewhere for that.

_____
A reader sent…

Feria Sexta post Cineres [Friday after Ash Wednesday] is the feast of the “Crown of Thorns”- one of the old Friday devotional feasts (in aliquibus locis) regrettably lost before 62… Might be worthy of a blog post or incorporation into your LentCaZt. [Already made before I opened the email.]

To this day at Notre Dame (where a significant portion of it is preserved), they have a special Crown of Thorns Mass on Fridays of Lent, and the relic is exposed… Not sure if the propers were changed under Novus Ordo, but am attaching the traditional propers for your convenience

The history of the Crown of Thorns itself is intriguing… transferred from Jerusalem to Constantinople, it was pledged to Venice for a heavy loan before being redeemed by the saintly Louis IX and taken to Paris, where it survived the Revolution and remains today.

Also, while the Crown of Thorns feast would not be celebrated under the 1962 rubrics, I believe it would be licit as a Votive Mass on some ferial Friday per annum. Perhaps a priest assigned to a liberal tyrant pastor could use it on or near the anniversary of his assignment. Of maybe some priests could say it with a special intention for the bishop… or another prelate.

Posted in Just Too Cool, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000 | Tagged Crown of Thorns, Notre-Dame de Paris
23 Comments

ASK FATHER: Can a pastor forbid an assistant from using black vestments?

Posted on 2 March 2017 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a priest…

QUAERITUR:

Can a Pastor of a parish forbid a Parochial Vicar from wearing a black chasuble at funerals? I just heard of 2 pastors in [a large NE Archdiocese] who have forbidden their traditional-minded parochial vicars from wearing black at funerals.

Black is an approved color for funerals, Masses for the Dead, in both the Traditional Roman Rite and the Novus Ordo. Permission is not needed to use black, nor can it be forbidden. It is a legitimate option.

That said, the “my house, my rules” state of reality generally applies in parishes and the locum tenens is the pastor. If the pastor is a monumental jerk, he can crucify the assistant in a thousand creative ways. Frankly, assistants (the newfangled “parochial vicar”) have the right to Christian burial and that’s about it.

Furthermore, it may be the expressed desire of the deceased and his family that black be used. In that case, the pastor truly would be a monumental jerk and a real scrub.

What these “pastors” are doing, of course, is ensuring that these men will use black in their own parishes as soon as they get out from under the rigid, narrow-minded oppressors to whom they are presently assigned.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Liberals, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Mail from priests, Slubberdegullions | Tagged black
21 Comments

REVIEW: New altar cards from the Fraternity of St. Peter

Posted on 2 March 2017 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I received some nice new altar cards for the Traditional Mass of the Roman Rite from the Fraternity of St. Peter’s publications service, Fraternity Publications.

They retail for $24.95 but they are on sale until 31 March for $19.95.

At this price, they are a great entry level set of cards. They would be great for a practice set for seminarians. Gift idea!

Fathers, you could get sets for your side altars. Think about it.

They are beautifully made and sturdy. They are on a fairly hard and stiff panel, so they need not be framed.

For some size perspective.

I think that were I going to travel with them, I would make a slip cover of some kind to keep the corners from getting bent or dinged up.

Posted in REVIEWS, The Campus Telephone Pole | Tagged altar cards
5 Comments

Blue Vestment Sighting – FSSP and TMSM

Posted on 2 March 2017 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

A week or so ago His Excellency Most Reverend Athanasius Schneider ordained men for the Fraternity of St. Peter in Wigratzbad.

Some photos via FSSP HERE. NB: The vestments are blue.

I want to remind the readership of our BLUE Pontifical Project.

This is what we are going to use.

Those wishing to make a tax-deductible donation to support the Tridentine Mass Society of Madison, a 501(c)(3) organization, can do so without any service fees extracted by mailing a check to:

Tridentine Mass Society of Madison
733 Struck St.
P.O. Box 44603
Madison, WI 53744-4603

Or, you can donate via PayPal (who do extract a service fee), HERE.

UPDATE:

More blue sets…

Posted in SESSIUNCULA | Tagged blue vestments, FSSP
19 Comments

Card. Coccopalmerio: “Maybe we have to reflect on this concept of validity or invalidity. “

Posted on 1 March 2017 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Just after I read a silly piece from the ridiculous Hans Küng over at the Fishwrap (National Schismatic Reporter) about completely rehabilitating Martin Luther, I flipped over to the National Catholic Register and saw Ed Pentin’s long interview of Card. Coccopalmerio. It concerned mostly his somewhat tangled attempts to explain his little book.

However, Coccopalmerio’s answer to one of Pentin’s question shows somewhat … problematic views on areas outside marriage:

PENTIN: One last topic: At a recent plenary meeting with the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, you reportedly encouraged the members to push for a less rigid understanding of the priesthood, essentially telling them to give up on an objective and metaphysical notion of priesthood. Your notion was that as we have an understanding of different levels of communion with the Church among the baptized, we should have different degrees of the fullness of priesthood, so as to permit Protestants to minister without being fully ordained. What exactly did you say, and why did you say it?

CARD. C: I was saying we have to reflect on questions. We say, everything is valid; nothing is valid. Maybe we have to reflect on this concept of validity or invalidity. The Second Vatican Council said there is a true communion even if it is not yet definitive or full. You see, they made a concept not so decisive, either all or nothing. There’s a communion that is already good, but some elements are missing. But, if you say some things are missing and that therefore there is nothing, you err. There are pieces missing, but there is already a communion, but it is not full communion. The same thing can be said, or something similar, of the validity or invalidity of ordination. I said let’s think about it. It’s a hypothesis. Maybe there is something, or maybe there’s nothing — a study, a reflection.

Huh?

This sounds like creeping incrementalism.

The moderation queue is most definitely ON.

Posted in What are they REALLY saying?, You must be joking! | Tagged Card. Coccopalmerio, creeping incrementalism, Edward Pentin
40 Comments

ASK FATHER: If there is no other priest, does Father put ashes on himself? #ashtag

Posted on 1 March 2017 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From a priest comes a good #ashtag question…

QUAERITUR:

A couple priests have asked me today, and I have no good answer – when a priest is offering Mass on Ash Wednesday without another priest present, or a deacon, does he impose ashes upon himself? Have a layperson impose them?

Last year, my first Ash Wednesday as a priest, I had Mass alone. Feeling a bit foolish about it, but wanting the sign of penitence myself, I imposed ashes on my own head. This year, I’m filling in for the parish priest and, at the early Mass, I had a layman, who was serving at the altar, impose ashes on me. [Ahhh… the Novus Ordo!]

Fr. ___, likely getting his info from his uncle, said that the priest should impose ashes on himself, and used the analogy of the priest blessing himself with Holy Water at the Asperges. Another priest of solid repute said that no, one should not impose a sign of penance on oneself, and since the ashes are already blessed by the priest, having another person impose them was not any sort of diminution of the sacerdotal status. Another priest says the he, for many years now, simply forgoes having ashes himself.

I have to imagine this was a very common situation back in the day. Do the older rubrics say anything about this situation? What are your thoughts?

First, I, for one, will never allow a layperson to put ashes on any part of me… unless we are hunkered down in a hide and I need smudges under my eyes while keeping our advancing hunters fixed in my rose-color gunsight.

Back in 1931, during the happy pontificate of Pius XI of venerable memory, the Sacred Congregation for Rites said that, if the priest is alone (i.e., if no other priest is present), he stands facing the altar and puts ashes on himself, saying nothing.

The rest is silence.