ASK FATHER: Ordinary Form Mass with a Communion rail?

communion right wrong smFrom a reader…

QUAERITUR:

I’ll ask the question up front: Is it illicit to celebrate the Ordinary Form while using a communion rail? If not, would use of a rail while celebrating the OF preclude reception of Communion in the hand, or while standing? Would it be verboten for a communicant to kneel at the rail, but receive in the hand? (I know… why would anyone want to do THAT?)

Yes, it is licit to celebrate the Ordinary Form and also to distribute Communion at a Communion rail.

The Church’s law guarantees the right of the faithful to kneel to receive.  In most places the bishops of the region have (regrettably) also permitted Communion in the hand for the Ordinary Form.   A Communion rail is a richly symbolic element of church’s communicative dimension through architecture and ornament.  It is also practical: it affords help to people who are a bit older or who have difficulty kneeling and rising.

It seems that those distributing Communion at an Ordinary Form cannot refuse to distribute to those who wish to receive either directly on the tongue or (sadly) in the hand.  So, were a person at an Ordinary Form Mass to kneel at the rail and yet want to receive in the hand, they should not – under ordinary circumstances – be denied.

However, the Church’s law in Redemptionis Sacramentum warns several times about avoiding the danger of profanation of the Eucharist.  If there is danger of profanation by distributing Communion in the hand (perhaps because of the nature and composition, the integrity of the Hosts), then Communion should not, must not, be distributed in the hand.  Prudence and sound judgment should be exercised, along with lots of catechesis and explanations.

 

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ASK FATHER Question Box, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000 | Tagged , ,
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FISHWRAP: Mendacious, hypocritical, fearful, destructive. Pray for its conversion or downfall!

fishwrapOver at Fishwrap (aka National Schismatic Reporter) there is a hypocritical, mendacious piece which I bring to your attention.

Peter Feuerhard wrote about the eeeeevils of “restorationism”.  This “-ism”, involves “bringing traditionalist approaches to liturgy and governance of parish life”.

Imagine such an evil thing!  Connecting our present practices with our forebears experience and sacrifices in continuity!

First, Feuerhard says that he can’t really define this, but he slyly invokes Justice Stewart’s chestnut about pornography: “I know it when I see it.”   Thus, he draws a slimy moral equivalence: “restorationism = pornography”.

Then, he indulges in insults, especially of young priests who don’t disdain their Catholic patrimony.  “In parishes across the country, young pastors, raised in a post-Vatican II world, are incorporating costumes, vestments, music and other elements that have their roots in practices preceding 1965.”  Costumes?

He gushes all over the ultra-liberal Anthony Ruff and gives him plenty of space.  Then he merely mentions me.  And he lies about me.  He wrote:

Some seminary rectors have encouraged these developments, with their seminaries viewed as restorationist pipelines. Sometimes restorationist groups among seminarians are more informal. Some go to internet sites, such as one run by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf of Madison, Wis., for inspiration. Zuhlsdorf’s site is heavy with photos of colorful vestments, liturgical regalia, and scathing criticism of Pope Francis.

This is a lie.  This is detraction… nay rather, calumny.  This is part of a larger project that we knew would come sooner or later.  This is a dog whistle.

What I write here is is NOT “heavy” with “scathing criticism of Pope Francis”.  As a matter of fact, I even try to cut down the worst of criticism of the Pope in my combox, but using more and more the moderation queue.   I do not, personally, write “scathing criticism” of the Pope.  I never have.  As a matter of fact, I spent a good deal of energy and time working to bring what Pope Francis was doing into harmony with Pope Benedict.  Over time, that proved to be less and less possible, but I sincerely tried.  

I am harshly criticized by a lot of readers here for NOT writing scathing criticism of the Pope!

This attack on tradition, on me, and on all who have what St. John Paul called “legitimate aspirations” regarding our tradition is born of fear, pure and simple.  They hate and fear our Catholic traditions, our doctrine and law.  Why?  Probably because it is the last stand, the last bastion against the overthrow of the Christian mores of sexual morality in the Church and in wider society.

Let me remind you about something.

The National Schismatic Reporter, Fishwrap, has improperly used the word “Catholic” in its title even through years ago they were instructed by the bishop where it is published to drop it.

Fishwrap promotes homosexual acts, twisted gender identity, the ordination of women and all manner of notions that run contrary to Catholic doctrine and law.

Fishwrap engaged in years of attacks on Catholic doctrine and practice and resistance against the persons of John Paul and Benedict.  Suddenly they are defenders of the Pope?   What a hypocritical joke.

If you publicly detract from a person’s reputation, you must make equally public corrections and/or apologies.

Here is a screenshot of one of the comments under that very post by Feuerhard:

17_02_02_screenshot_01

st-joseph-patron-of-the-church

And yet by the combox form this is what Fishwrap announces:

National Catholic Reporter uses Civil Comments. Please keep your comments on-topic, focus on the issue and avoid personal insults, harassment and abuse. Read the user guide.

Apparently over there they don’t pay attention to their own guidelines even in their articles.  They sure don’t in their combox.

I ask you all to pray to St. Joseph, patron of the diocese where the offices of the Fishwrap  are located. 

St. Joseph, pray for us.

Dear St. Joseph, Terror of Demons and Protector of Holy Church, Chaste Guardian of Our Lord and His Mother, hear our urgent prayer and swiftly intercede with our Savior, whom as a loving father you defended so diligently, that He will pour abundant graces upon the staff of that organ of dissent the National catholic Reporter so that they will either embrace orthodox doctrine concerning faith and morals or that all their efforts will promptly fail and come to their just end. Amen.

The moderation queue is ON.

Meanwhile…



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FOLLOW UP: Requests for GREGORIAN MASSES and priests who can say them.

UPDATE 2 Feb:

On this Candlemas, I’m bumping this to the top of the blog to remind you about an opportunity.

Please take careful note of what I describe, below.

___ Original Published on: Dec 14, 2016 ___

mass sacrificeEvery once in a while someone will ask me if I can take a Gregorian Mass intention (i.e. 30 straight days for the same intention, usually for the soul of someone who has died).

I have then put on my yenta cap and posted here on the blog asking if there are priests out there who can take them. I then forward requests to those priests. I have nothing to do with the stipend, which the parties work out for themselves.

Today I received a note from a priest who says that he can take a Gregorian Mass stipend. I now have quite a few priests on my “Available” list.

If you, dear readers, want Gregorian Masses said, drop me a note (HERE) and I will forward your request to a priest on my list. I won’t have anything to do with setting the stipend. Period.

Petitioners put: GREGORIAN MASS REQUEST in the subject line. Put that in the subject line so that I will be able to find you in my email:  GREGORIAN MASS REQUEST  [UPDATE: It is amazing that people are writing and NOT putting that in the subject line.  No… really… put just that… unless you want me to miss your email.]

Priests: Put AVAILABLE FOR GREGORIAN MASS in the subject line.

Folks, think about this.  

Are you looking for a truly spiritual Christmas gift to give?  How about having Gregorian Masses said for the deceased priests who served you?   Don’t necessarily pick the priests who were seriously holy guys.  How about picking priests who were troubled or who were liberal and, therefore, probably not exactly faithful?   Have Masses said for the priests who really need your spiritual care?

I know that I would appreciate your prayers after my own death.   I appreciate your prayers in this life too!   You can have Masses said for both the living and the dead.  Pray for your priests, dead and alive.   We need your prayers.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Priests and Priesthood | Tagged
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Wherein Fr. Z apologizes and explains a response to a reader’s question

I need to explain something and to apologize if I caused wonder or confusion.

On 27 January I posted an response to a person’s question:

QUAERITUR:

Given the rate things are going for this current pontificate, would it be sinful to pray that, if it be God’s will, that the pope either abdicates or dies and a new pope of a more conservative leaning is elected?

I RESPONDED on 27 January:

I get this often.

No.  It is not necessarily sinful to pray for the end of a pontificate, one way or another.

However, it depends on why and on your attitude.  I urge people not to have hate in their hearts for the person of the Holy Father.  He deserves our prayers.  That doesn’t mean that we have to like him or what he does.  We do NOT worship the Pope.  Popes come and go.  In our prayers, we can, without sinning, discuss with God about His time table.

Since I posted that, I’ve heard that some people thought – from what admittedly I wrote – either that it is okay to pray that the Pope should die (without any further qualification) or that they ought to pray that the Pope should die.

That was certainly NOT my intention.  I’m sorry if by my poor wording I gave that impression.

I tried to answer that question – which I have received quite a few times – in way that put questioners at ease, but also counseled care and judgment about their own attitude, their own motives.  It appears that I didn’t do that very well.

First, I tried to convey that one should NOT have hate in her or his heart for the Holy Father.  There is an old phrase: “Catholics love their Popes”.

Next, when I used the phrase: “discuss with God about His time table” I had in mind a situation like that which we witnessed back in 2005. The whole world watched the Holy Father, St. John Paul II, suffer so terribly in his last days.  I think that everyone will agree that, while it was heroic, it was hard.  In such a case, one can, I think, pray that God might bring a person – any person, a Pope included – who is suffering to the joy of heaven and offer that prayer without sin.  Everything depends on our own attitude.  Also, somehow it must have been in God’s time table for Pope Benedict XVI to resign.  Like his decision or not, he thought it the best thing to do at the time.  In that case, one pontificate ended and another pontificate began, again, according to God’s ineffable time table.

That said, if what I so clumsily wrote caused anyone to wonder or to be confused or angry, especially because it touches on the person of the Vicar of Christ, I sincerely apologize.

Finally, we Catholics, especially of a traditional leaning, frequently offer prayers specifically for the person of the Holy Father. Just the other day, during the Litany at the beginning of Forty Hours Devotion, we prayed for Pope Francis.  I trust that in offering these prayers, we are all sincere.

To make it clear what we should all happily pray for, and often…

V. Oremus pro Pontifice nostro Francisco.
R. Dominus conservet eum, et vivificet eum, et beatum faciat eum in terra, et non tradat eum in animam inimicorum eius.

Oremus.
Deus, omnium fidelium pastor et rector,
famulum tuum Franciscum, quem pastorem Ecclesiae tuae praeesse voluisti, propitius respice: da ei, quaesumus, verbo et exemplo, quibus praeest, proficere: ut ad vitam, una cum grege sibi credito, perveniat sempiternam. Per Christum, Dominum nostrum. Amen.

V. Let us pray for our Pontiff Francis.
R. May the Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies.

Let us pray. O God, Shepherd and Ruler of all Thy faithful, look mercifully upon Thy servant Francis, whom Thou hast chosen as shepherd to preside over Thy Church: grant him, we beseech Thee, that, by word and example, he may edify those over whom he hath charge, so that together with the flock committed to him, he may attain everlasting life. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

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4 Confraternities of Catholic Clergy: Statement on Amoris Laetitia

The Confraternity of Catholic Clergy of these USA, of Australia, of Ireland, and of England – four Confraternities – issued a joint statement about Pope Francis’ Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Amoris laetitia.

Statement of the Confraternities of Catholic Clergy
01/02/2017

As members of the International Confraternities of Catholic Clergy we believe there would be great value in an authoritative interpretation of the apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia in line with the constant teaching and practice of the Church. This statement comes in light of continuing widespread divergence of understanding and growing divisions in practice. A clarification is clearly needed to correct the misuse of the Apostolic Exhortation to undermine sacred Tradition. We therefore thank the four eminent Cardinals who have recently submitted their dubia to the Holy See, requesting such clarification. The Confraternities recognise that this action has been taken out of love for the Church and concern for the salvation of souls. As the Cardinals themselves have made clear, this step has been taken with deep respect for our Holy Father, Pope Francis, and should not in any way be used to foster divisions in the Church. The grave danger to the unity of the Church due to increasing moral relativism must be honestly faced and clearly remedied.

As pastors of souls, we are well aware of the many challenges facing the men and women of today. We strive to help our people, often living in complex situations, to hear the call of Christ and his Gospel. This task is made easier when the Church expounds her teaching boldly and clearly. It is also essential that the Church’s discipline must always follow her dogmatic teaching. In particular, since at the present time there is much confusion, it is necessary to make clear that Holy Communion cannot be given to someone choosing to live in a sexual relationship with a person other than their validly espoused husband or wife. Those who find themselves in this situation are of course deserving of pastoral support and must be helped to play as full a part in the life of the Church as their circumstances allow. In connection with this, it is important to state that conscience is not a law unto itself replacing the holy law of God with private judgment, but rather an echo of the voice of the Creator. The dignity of conscience must be assisted to overcome all ignorance and protected from becoming ‘practically sightless as a result of habitual sin’ (Gaudium et Spes, 16)

Requesting such a clarification, which reiterates the perennial teaching of the Church, is an act of filial love by faithful sons of the Church who turn to our Supreme Shepherd seeking his paternal guidance. It is our desire that this elucidation will enable us and other Catholic priests and deacons to carry out our ministry in ways that are faithful and effective. We hope that this request for clarification may be an occasion for the Holy Father to feed and tend the flock entrusted to him by the Lord and to support us, the clergy, in doing the same.

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2 Feb – CANDLEMAS – Madison, WI – Pontifical Mass at the Throne

On Thursday, 2 February, at 7 PM His Excellency Most Reverend Robert C. Morlino will celebrate a Pontifical Mass at the Throne for Candlemas.

The location of the Mass is the Chapel at Holy Name Heights (once Bishop O’Conner Center) in Madison, Wisconsin.

All are welcome!  Clerics are cordially invited to attend in choro in cassock, surplice and biretta or your religious choir dress.

BRING CANDLES to be blessed by the bishop!

Posted in Events, The Campus Telephone Pole | Tagged , ,
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Card. Müller weighs in on ‘Amoris Laetitia’, informally answers the Five Dubia

17_02_01_Muller_TimoneThe Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is doing his job.  His Eminence Gerhard Ludwig Card. Müller, has given a long interview to the Italian Catholic monthly Il Timone.  Title: “You don’t negotiate Truth.”  He comments on the relationship of personal conscience, ecumenism and the interpretation of the controversial, confusing Amoris laetitia.

Card. Müller doesn’t explicitly respond to the Five Dubia submitted by the Four Cardinals.  Not explicitly.  But he does happen to respond to the points raised in the Five Dubia.

Here is a solid gold quote, in my translation:

Amoris laetitia “must be read as a whole, in any case an act of adultery is always a mortal sin and the bishops who cause confusion on this point ought to study the Church’s doctrine.”

That is directed, of course, at the ludicrous statement of the Bishops of Malta, guidelines on the implementation of chapter 8 of Amoris (aka The Maltese Disaster).

I see that Sandro Magister has already provided translations of some of the interview. HERE  Let’s have a look at these “key passages of the interview” with my emphases and comments:

Q: Can there be a contradiction between doctrine and personal conscience?

A [Müller]: No, that is impossible. For example, it cannot be said that there are circumstances according to which an act of adultery does not constitute a mortal sin. For Catholic doctrine, it is impossible for mortal sin to coexist with sanctifying grace. In order to overcome this absurd contradiction, Christ has instituted for the faithful the Sacrament of penance and reconciliation with God and with the Church.

Q: This is a question that is being extensively discussed with regard to the debate surrounding the post-synodal exhortation “Amoris Laetitia.”

A: “Amoris Laetitia” must clearly be interpreted in the light of the whole doctrine of the Church. […] I don’t like it, it is not right that so many bishops are interpreting “Amoris Laetitia” according to their way of understanding the pope’s teaching. This does not keep to the line of Catholic doctrine. The magisterium of the pope is interpreted only by him or through the congregation for the doctrine of the faith. The pope interprets the bishops, it is not the bishops who interpret the pope, this would constitute an inversion of the structure of the Catholic Church. To all these who are talking too much, [Maltese, et al.] I urge them to study first the doctrine [of the councils] on the papacy and the episcopate. The bishop, as teacher of the Word, must himself be the first to be well-formed so as not to fall into the risk of the blind leading the blind. […]

Q: The exhortation of Saint John Paul II, “Familiaris Consortio,” stipulates that divorced and remarried couples that cannot separate, in order to receive the sacraments must strive to live in continence. Is this requirement still valid?

A: Of course, it is not dispensable, because it is not only a positive law of John Paul II, but he expressed an essential element of Christian moral theology and the theology of the sacraments. The confusion on this point also concerns the failure to accept the encyclical “Veritatis Splendor,” with the clear doctrine of the “intrinsece malum.” […] For us marriage is the expression of participation in the unity between Christ the bridegroom and the Church his bride. This is not, as some said during the Synod, a simple vague analogy. No! This is the substance of the sacrament, and no power in heaven or on earth, neither an angel, nor the pope, nor a council, nor a law of the bishops, has the faculty to change it. [Do I hear an “Amen!”?]

Q: How can one resolve the chaos that is being generated on account of the different interpretations that are given of this passage of Amoris Laetitia?

A: I urge everyone to reflect, studying the doctrine of the Church first, starting from the Word of God in Sacred Scripture, which is very clear on marriage. I would also advise not entering into any casuistry that can easily generate misunderstandings, above all that according to which if love dies, then the marriage bond is dead. These are sophistries: the Word of God is very clear and the Church does not accept the secularization of marriage. The task of priests and bishops is not that of creating confusion, but of bringing clarity. One cannot refer only to little passages present in “Amoris Laetitia,” but it has to be read as a whole, with the purpose of making the Gospel of marriage and the family more attractive for persons. It is not “Amoris Laetitia” that has provoked a confused interpretation, but some confused interpretations of it. [Wellll…okay… Amoris, alas, is less than perfectly clear, which has allowed some to go to the zoo.] All of us must understand and accept the doctrine of Christ and of his Church, and at the same time be ready to help others to understand it and put it into practice even in difficult situations.

 

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, Hard-Identity Catholicism, One Man & One Woman, The Drill | Tagged , , , ,
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My View For Awhile – Creepy Airport – The Sequel

I’m still trying to get home from Denver.

We zipped quickly past the creepy killer demon-eyed death horse. Apparently it is some sort of spirit horse. Blech.

My View For Awhile - Creepy Airport - The Sequel

Worst check in process anywhere. It was not good on Sunday either. Today, a very senior, almost bilingual desk clerk couldn’t get the machine to print luggage tags. After clicking and typing again and again, she asked for help. The machine was out of tags. Thus began the process of changing them. Let’s just say that it is a good thing that I came really early for my flight.

My View For Awhile - Creepy Airport - The Sequel

This shot is especially for Fr. J.  Enjoy!

My View For Awhile - Creepy Airport - The Sequel

I am back (for a much shorter time I hope) at exactly the same table in the still hard to find club.   I had wanted to get at least a little work done here, but the blazing Delta WiFi wouldn’t cough up data.  So,… I’ll content myself with working from my phone.

My View For Awhile - Creepy Airport - The Sequel

Now the big question is…WILL WE FLY TODAY?

I charged my Kindle and my ear buds.  I’m ready for another interminable day with Delta.

Delta… “Isn’t Ready When You Are!”

UPDATE:

One more for Fr. J:

My View For Awhile - Creepy Airport - The Sequel

A familiar gate.  Lots of people spent lots of time here on Sunday.

My View For Awhile - Creepy Airport - The Sequel

My View For Awhile - Creepy Airport - The Sequel

img_0473

Oh, the opulence.

My View For Awhile - Creepy Airport - The Sequel

UPDATE:

Just as we departed from the farthest possible gate in the concourse, so too we arrived in MSP at the farthest possible gate in the concourse.  This happens to me quite often, as a matter of fact.

UPDATE:

Ah the joy of travel.

My View For Awhile - Creepy Airport - The Sequel

My View For Awhile - Creepy Airport - The Sequel

UPDATE

There is a super high maintenance person next to me sharing her phone conversation with our fellow passengers. So far she hasn’t started doing her nails … okay… the coughing just started.

UPDATE

The flight attendant just loaded something on VHS tape into a deck of hard to identify purpose.

How old is this airplane?

UPDATE

Unbelievable.

We taxied out. We taxied back to the gate. The taxi time alone would have gotten us to MSN.

“Something is broken.”

We have no idea how long we will be on the ground.

For now we are staying on the plane.

Will I NEVER get home?

The devil hates this trip.

Posted in Lighter fare, On the road, What Fr. Z is up to | Tagged ,
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2017 Solar Eclipse

On 21 August your planet will obscure your yellow Sun and cast a shadow across your planet’s surface. There will be a total eclipse of the Sun that will sweep across these USA.

I, for one, plan on seeing it.

Average cloud cover from APOD:

2017 Solar Eclipse

I’ve mentioned this before. It might be fun to have a combination Blognic, Eclipse, Solemn TLM Jamboree.

No?

Gotta determine the “where”.

Posted in Just Too Cool, Look! Up in the sky! | Tagged
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Reader Feedback

UPDATE 31 Jan:

I had a call from the hate mail sender’s provider.  They did their own investigation.  We talked about the option of contacting law enforcement.   Since we are about to takeoff (I’m on an airplane) i couldn’t pursue it more at that moment.

UPDATE 31 Jan:

I had a note back from the hate-mail sender’s provider…

Good Afternoon J.T. Zuhlsdorf, my name is —-, I am an Investigator with Charter Communications.  I am reaching out to you by email because I do not have a contact number for you.  Please reach out to your local Police Department and file an incident report regarding the Threaten email from —–.  Once you have filed a Police report please send us the case number assigned to the incident.  We will work and cooperate with Law Enforcement.

Thank you

—-

Corporate Security

Sr. Investigator

_____ Originally Posted 30 Jan ___

I get supportive mail and hate mail.

Here’s a lovely bit of support I received this weekend at the parish where I preached for Forty Hours Devotion.  A spiritual bouquet!

Reader Feedback

There were a couple pages.  I really appreciate Spiritual Bouquets.  Some don’t.  I do!

In email…

One fellow wrote:

 I just want to say a big thank you for your unceasing advice for us to go to confession. I just went after about 9 months delay. It was great feeling of liberation and gave strength against the evil one. Your constant urging to go to confession helped me to go. Keep on giving the advice. It is a great work of charity.

Thanks.  I do get notes from people occasionally about going to confession after an absence.

Here is another person:

Thank you for blogging. I have learned so much from reading it. The weekly posts on the collects, the liturgical season reminders, and random things posted about have enriched my familiy’s faith. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

In the event that Hell takes the day on Tuesday, and liberties such as freedom of speech and access to the Internet are interrupted, I wanted to express my gratitude now.

And there’s this:

Ok Father Bannon…your no priest…you’re a Breitbart idealog and a disgrace to Catholicism…may you die and burn in Hell.

BTW…don’t bother blocking me…I can change my ips address at will.

Okay, I guess that’s a no vote.

When I get something like this, wishing my death, I take it seriously.

Therefore, I reported the email to the abusers provider.  Then I did a little research.  He has written before, as matter of fact.  Once I ascertained that, I explored his IP address in his header and got a geographical location.   I cross-checked that with other emails and they were consistent.  Then I dug a little more and discovered that this hate-mail writer is a Permanent Deacon in a parish in Texas.  So, I might give his parish priest or his chancery a call and send a copy of the email.

You see, I really do read your emails!

I also listen to your voicemails: I don’t call back, but I listen to it.

You have three options:

Reader Feedback WDTPRS

Reader Feedback 020 8133 4535

Reader Feedback 651-447-6265

TIPS for leaving voice mail.

  1. Let me know at the onset if I can use it on the blog.  I may be able to anonymize it a little by editing if need be.
  2. Come to your point right away, please.
  3. Don’t shout!  If you shout, your voice will be distorted and I won’t be able to understand you.

 

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